Where We're From
by Yukitoshuu Itsumademo
Summary: CH 11!Sorry I've been gone so long. For those who are new, this is my perspective on Arnold and Helga's lives as they grow old together. This is their retirement, and their solace in their lives and their children. What will happen? You'll have to read it
1. Tears Of Joy

Where We're From  
  
By Arnoldnhelga4eva  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own HA  
  
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Chapter One: Tears of Joy  
  
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'These are tears of happiness, tears of pure happiness. Those years they spent together, every single minute. I don't think there was ever a time in their life where they didn't love each other,' Jeana stopped for a moment to wipe her tears, and glanced at her parents best friends, Phoebe and Gerald, then returned to her eulogy, 'even when my mother tortured my father, he loved her, and she loved him. He told me that he was too dense, and denied it.' She pulled another tissue from her pocket to wipe her tears; they were tears she called joy, celebrating the life her parents lived.  
  
'We're not really here to mourn, because we shouldn't be. This is more of a celebration of my parents' lives. If they were here now, my mom would probably slap you if you were crying, then my dad would calm her down. They were like that. My mother's temper and my father's ethics balanced out to form the epitome of their relationship. Nobody could ever be as happy as they were together. In a way, they're still here. My mother's books, my father's famous football plays, they live on in our world in more then one way. Every time the wind blows through the grass. I can almost see them. I can feel their presence with us now.  
  
'They don't just live on in spirit and memories, they live in my sister, brother, our children, and myself. People tell me that I'm the spitting image of my mother. Others say my sister, Jayme is a replica of my father, minus the head shape. We all know Sean has my mother's attitude and pride. And let's not forget the sharp tongue. They are both known for their sharp wit. Sean looks like my father though. I could talk forever and ever about my parents. They saved my life even though I wouldn't admit it at the time. But this isn't about me, its more about them; it is them. This is their funeral, this is it. They were wonderful people, and this is the story I've told thousands of times and still love to tell.'  
  
~*()*~  
  
Fifth grade, the first day of school after the neighborhood incident took place.  
  
Nine-year-old Arnold had just saved his neighborhood this summer, with the help of his best friend Gerald, and mysteriously Helga Pataki. She had just popped up, and been revealed as Deep Voice, the one giving Gerald and Arnold all the information about the document they were seeking. Helga had been a sly one, dressed up in a trench coat with a big floppy hat, and a voice changer on her phone. She had fooled Arnold until he found her, and she confessed everything. He was too stunned, but later thought about what happened.  
  
The day after she claimed she still hated him, he found her in the park, just looking over the bridge at her reflection. She had let her pigtails loose and her hair flowed straight down her back. At first Arnold hadn't recognized her, but found out who she was after confronting her. At first he was a little shocked, but came to think she's really not that bad. They talked about everything but the neighborhood. He found her conversations interesting and less sarcastic as usual. She told him about her family life, which he only knew the half of. He told her about his parents. She listened intently and just nodded the entire time.  
  
Somehow, they had subconsciously walked to Arnold's house. As they looked up at the national landmark, he asked if she wanted to continue talking on the roof. She agreed, and they climbed the ladder, to the top. They continued their conversations, till it came to something a little more delicate. He didn't know where it had come from, it just popped out of his mouth, from his heart.  
  
'Do you really love me?' he asked. She looked at him with shock, then replied quietly.  
  
'Didn't we already go over this football head?' he nodded, but continued.  
  
'Yeah, but.I don't know. I felt like our last conversation was more so I could think about it for a while,' she looked at him. After a few minutes of silence, she spoke up.  
  
'Have you?'  
  
'Have I what?'  
  
'Have you thought about what I told you?' he looked a little shocked, but understood what she was asking. For once in his life his denseness prevailed.  
  
'Yeah, and.I-I don't.know. I don't know.' She looked a little hurt, but nodded, 'I mean, we're friends, but not really, do you get what I'm saying?' she nodded.  
  
'I understand, so should we be friends now?' she stuck out her hand and he shook it.  
  
'Deal,' He said with a smile. She smiled back, then saw the time out of the corner of her eye.  
  
'Oh, I gotta go. Maybe we can talk later,' she said while rushing out the door. He nodded unawaringly.  
  
'Yeah, how 'bout tomorrow?' she looked at him, then nodded. They said their good byes and he watched her walk out, with a new light shed upon her. She was now officially someone new and he almost didn't know what to make of it. He was confused.  
  
The whole time she was with him, he felt dizzy and aloof. He felt as though he was soaring, and his heart felt like it would burst. Could he.did he.was he in love?  
  
~High School~  
  
It wasn't any easier, this crush he had on Helga when you added puberty, and hormones. Mother nature had given her all the beauty lost in childhood (A/N: don't get me wrong, when she really tries, Helga is really pretty, like in the V-tines ep and the commercial for the movie when she's in the spy outfit.) Her thin figure filed out toned, her shape perfect from sports. Her blond hair was worn straight, and she had the talent of plucking her eyebrows. They were perfect, as the rest of her. It was hard for him to look at her and not melt, but he somehow managed to keep pretty cool.  
  
He wasn't bad himself. Being the star quarterback on the football team forced him to do weight training. His muscles made his form even more pleasing to the eye. He had a wash board, and he didn't even need to flex his arm muscles to know they were there. All the girls were constantly all over him, but there was one that never was. She always seemed a little afraid to flirt with him.Helga.  
  
Its not that she didn't like him, she still loved him. She was just scared that she might get too mushy. That had never lead to anything good in the past, so she always kept her distance.  
  
One day, she turned a corner to find Arnold and Gerald having a conversation. Quickly, she hid behind a trashcan to listen.yes she still did that.  
  
'I'm telling you man, just ask her out,' that was Gerald. Arnold looked at his best friend like he was crazy.  
  
'What!? Are you nuts? She's the only girl that doesn't like me more than a friend! Besides, the neighborhood thing was fourth grade,' so they were talking about her. Helga had heard enough. She quickly sought out her best friend, Phoebe.  
  
'Phoebes, listen!' Helga approached Phoebe at her locker.  
  
'Listening!' Phoebe chimed.  
  
'Okay, I just found out that Arnold likes me,' Phoebe took her attention away from her locker to stare at Helga, 'Yeah! He likes me! Can you and possibly Gerald hook us up, ya know?'  
  
'Of course Helga! I'd be delighted! Oh Helga, I'm so happy for you!' Phoebe threw her arms around Helga and she hugged back. Phoebe seceded when a brilliant idea came to her, 'The fair!' Helga looked at her tiny friend confused.  
  
'Huh?'  
  
'We'll all go to the fair, and make it a double date.' Helga's eyes brightened up as she hugged Phoebe.  
  
'Phoebes, you're a genius!' she squeezed her best friend even tighter.  
  
'Well, I try,' Phoebe said with a blush. Helga pulled back.  
  
'Okay Phoebes. This Friday, we'll all meet at the Cheese festival at five, got it down on paper?'  
  
'Writing!' Phoebe chirped. Helga looked very pleased. Finally, she'd be on a real date with him, as herself. What would she wear!?  
  
'Phoebes! We have plans to do, come on let's go!' Phoebe closed her locker quickly and followed.  
  
'Coming!'  
  
~^~  
  
'What!? You mean they want to.what!?' Arnold yelled. Gerald had just told him about the double date. It wasn't a problem for Phoebe and Gerald since they were already going out, but Arnold was ecstatic, 'You mean she wants to go on a date with me!?' he practically yelled. People were staring to stare at them. Maybe Slausen's wasn't the best place to tell him.  
  
'Calm down man. You're attracting bad attention,' Arnold took a breath, a sign for Gerald to continue, 'look, Phoebe said this Friday, at five. We're going to the cheese festival.' Arnold looked disappointed. That place was bad luck for him; then again it had been bad luck for Helga in the past as well.  
  
'But, whenever I meet a girl at the cheese festival, she either ignores me, or doesn't like me like me.' Arnold hung his head slightly. There had been Ruth, which turned out to be a dud, Lila who still hadn't liked him liked him, that meant.  
  
'Three times a charm buddy. You'll get the girl this time.' Arnold looked up at Gerald, then broke out into a big smile.  
  
'Thanks Gerald,' he said as they did their thumb shake. A thought struck his mind suddenly, 'Gerald! What am I gonna wear!? What am I gonna say!?' Gerald just smiled at his best friend.  
  
'Be cool man, because you're talking to the ladies man. I may be goin' with Phoebe, but I can teach you a thing or two to pick a girl up. Trust me, by the end of the night, she'll kiss ya.' Arnold looked at him hopefully, then smiled again.  
  
'But what am I gonna wear?'  
  
~^~  
  
The lights dazzled and lit up the sky as if it were daytime. Helga and Phoebe stood waiting at the entrance, dressed to kill. Phoebe wore a blue halter-top with jean capris. Her hair, which she let grow long was pulled back in two fishtail braids, and on her feet adorned platform sandals. Helga was even more stunning. She clad white pedal pushers with white platform sandals. She also wore a pink tank tini that slit and flared out about an inch above her navel, which sparkled with a diamond stud. Her long straight hair flowed down her back. Arnold nearly fainted when he saw her.  
  
'Hey, what took you two so long?' Helga asked facetiously as Phoebe waked over to Gerald, planting a kiss on his lips. He wrapped his arm around her waist. They started to walk in toward the festival, so Helga turned to Arnold and grabbed his hand, 'C'mon, we got stuff to do.'  
  
~^~  
  
The crowd gathered around the booth, watching Arnold continually throw the football perfectly through the tire.  
  
'Crimeny Arnoldo! That's 25 in a row!' Helga said as he handed her another stuffed animal, 'Why don't you let someone else play!' HE handed the game vendor another dollar, 'What are we gonna do with all these stuffed animals?'  
  
'You'll see,' he said as he stuck out his tongue for concentration, took aim and threw another perfectly through the tire. The crowd cheered, and Arnold turned around, 'Free stuffed animals!' He yelled to the crowd. Everyone stampeded forward and grabbed, and pushed to get the prizes. Helga, Phoebe and Gerald looked in amazement. He turned to Helga, 'See, I told you, but I kept one.' He brought his hand from behind his back and held out a heart shaped pillow. Helga looked at it wide-eyed as did Phoebe and Gerald. Helga took it from him in shock, then looked back up at him.  
  
'T-thanks football head.' Arnold smiled, and Helga smiled back. Phoebe and Gerald looked at them, simpering and getting ready to put their plan into action.  
  
'Hey,' Gerald said, breaking the moment of borrowed vision, 'Let's go on the Ferris wheel.' Everybody nodded and agreed. Phoebe felt in her pocket for directions. Yep, there they were. The mechanical instructions on a Ferris wheel. She had a cousin who worked in the business, so he had helped Phoebe and Gerald formulate the plan. It was perfect. probably illegal, but perfect.  
  
They reached the line and waited. It wasn't long before Arnold and Helga climbed into one of the seats.  
  
'We'll get on the next one behind you,' Gerald assured them. They nodded and were strapped in. It took off, and so did Phoebe and Gerald. It was time to fix the Ferris wheel.  
  
'So,' Arnold said awkwardly. Helga looked over at him.  
  
'So,' She copied, 'How-'s football going?' she asked. Before Arnold could even respond, the ride stopped and they were on the top, 'Oh great! Just perfect!' she yelled. Arnold sighed, but then another thought crossed his mind. If they didn't repair the Ferris wheel for a while, he'd just get to spend more alone time with Helga.  
  
'I wonder how Phoebe and Gerald are taking this?' Arnold wondered aloud, looking behind him to find the seat occupied by another couple. He nearly freaked out, 'What!/ They're not there!' Helga looked frantically behind her as well.  
  
'What!? Where are they!?' Just as she said that, someone called Arnold's name from the ground. Helga and Arnold looked down to find Phoebe and Gerald smiling triumphantly up at them. They waved fatuously and Helga flipped her finger at them. Phoebe and Gerald took off for the tunnel of love. Arnold sighed and sat back, as Helga did also. He looked over at her. Wow, she was beautiful. The sight of her took his breath away. He could hardly control himself.  
  
'Well, looks like we're gonna be here awhile football head, so make yourself comf--' but her words were cut off by Arnold's lips. They felt so warm and irresistible, and Helga couldn't think of anything other then to kiss him back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer as her opened his mouth against hers. She nearly died from her biggest dream coming true. He pulled back after a little while, completely out of breath.  
  
'Helga, I-I.uh' she smiled and softly stroked the back of his head with her fingers. She smiled and he was no longer speechless, 'I love you.' A tear slipped from the corner of her eye and she repeated those words to him. He kissed her and she kissed back, pulling him closer. They got lost in each other's sweet kisses.  
  
Meanwhile, standing vigil from the tunnel of love line was Phoebe and Gerald. They were satisfied with their success. Arnold and Helga were finally together, finally.  
  
~*()*~  
  
I could go on and on about their lives, but I think my sister, Jayme wants to tell more.' The crowd gazed their teary eyes over to an almost exact replica of Jeana. Sure, Jean's eyes held that youthful sparkle her father's had, but Jayme had captured her father's innocent look. Jeana returned to her children as her twin sister left her own family to tell of their college life. Jayme had always been known for her strong ways with words, just like Helga had. She approached the podium, which rested just behind the coffins that harbored her parents.  
  
'Some say, failing only makes us stronger, and it did. It made my parents so much stronger.'  
  
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Chapter two will be up soon. Hah I rhymed. Anyway, R/R and I'll.  
  
C ya l8ter!  
  
Arnoldnhelga4eva 


	2. Hard Decisions

Where We're From  
  
By Arnoldnhelga4eva  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own HA, or Notre Dame.  
  
Hey. Here's chap 2, enjoy!:D  
  
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Chapter 2: Hard Decisions  
  
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Ever since that sophomore year, the time when Helga and Arnold became a couple, they were inseparable. Not even a hurricane would break their bond. They did everything together, went everywhere together, spent every waking minute together. They walked each other to class, Helga went to Arnold's football games, then basketball, then baseball. She herself played soccer and softball. He was there for every game he could as well. Graduation was approaching rapidly, and he had a scholarship to play football at Notre Dame. There were scouts at a few of his football games that really liked his style, and they offered him a full ride scholarship to their school. The only thing was, how would Helga take this? He hadn't told her yet, and he didn't want to be too far from her. He knew with all her writing she'd get some scholarship, but to where?  
  
He decided to bring up the topic one night when she decided to spend the night. They hadn't slept together, oh no. Neither of them could afford that right now, but once in a while they'd spend the night at each other's houses, just curled up in each others' arms. Tonight the iridescent moon was promising, and the stars seemed to shine off her hair. It was a perfect night, just how to tell her.  
  
'Helga?' she turned to him. Oh how he melted just at her gaze. He swallowed, this was it, 'I-I.got a scholarship to Notre Dame.' She looked at him, then rolled to the side and sat up.  
  
'That's the best Football College in the country, or at least one of the best.' He nodded, and she smiled, her eyes twinkling as bright as the stars, 'I got a scholarship to anywhere in the U.S. from a writing contest type thing.' He smiled and pulled her down so she was resting upon his chest. She loved the smell of his clothes; she always had. She loved his shampoo too.  
  
'So,' he started, 'that means you'll come to Notre Dame?' she looked down at him, her eyes almost teasing him coquettishly. Then she bent down and whispered in his ear.  
  
'I'll follow you to the ends of the earth.' He smiled and hugged her tightly. Fate made it so he would be with the girl of his dreams. His best friend and hers as well would be going to different colleges, but they could correspond. He knew Phoebe and Gerald would be able to maintain a long distance relationship.  
  
'Everything's going to work out fine,' he whispered back to her and planted a kiss in her hair before they both drifted off into dreams.  
  
~^~  
  
Graduation came and went, and everyone said their good-byes.  
  
'Hey man,' Gerald said somberly, grabbing Arnold's hand to do their secret shake, 'take care, and don't forget to write.' Arnold nodded.  
  
'Yeah, me too. I'll email you when I get there.' Even though they were trying not to, it was clearly visible that both men were crying. Phoebe and Helga looked on, crying themselves.  
  
'I'll miss you Phoebe,' Helga hugged her crying best friend, 'I don't know how I'll function without you.'  
  
'Don't forget to write.' Phoebe sobbed. Helga pulled back and looked her best friend in the eye.  
  
'How could I not? Honestly Phoebes, I think you know me better than that.' Phoebe smiled, and bowed, her Japanese way of saying goodbye. Helga bowed back as they both walked to their boyfriends. Arnold wrapped his arm around his crying Helga.  
  
'Don't worry, we won't lose touch with them,' he assured her, 'Phoebe and Gerald have a strong relationship, and they'll both be studying in New York, They'll stay together.' Arnold said as they watched their best friends pile into Gerald's car and drive off. Arnold hugged Helga tighter to him.  
  
'Now, about us,' Helga looked up at him with a slight smile on her face, so he continued, 'My parents are agreeing to pay for a two room apartment near the college. If your parents are willing to pay for part of it, you can stay there too.' Helga's eyes lit up and her tears seemed to evaporate. She leapt at him, hugging him, squeezing all energy from him, them producing a fresh batch of tears.  
  
'Oh Arnold!' she cried, 'even if they won't, I will.' He looked at her skeptically, so she decided to tell her little secret, 'I've been saving up all my money since I can remember, and I have over eight-thousand saved up. If I can get a job that would work with my studying, there's no reason why I won't be able to.' His eyes widened with every word she said. Eight- thousand!?!? That's a lot. He smiled at her assumingly, then hugged her. Everything would be okay.  
  
~*~  
  
'No, how about we put it over here.' Helga said right after they replaced the couch for the thousandth time. Arnold looked over at her, exhausted from placing and replacing the couch.  
  
'Helga, we can rearrange things better later. How about for now we just leave it here.' He said as he slumped down on the soft cushions. She plopped down nest to him and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She looked over at him and he kissed her. He broke back and smiled, 'just think, this is our first home.' She smiled and rested her head upon his shoulder. He looked around at all the boxes that surrounded them. They had a lot of unpacking to do.  
  
He was actually surprised that his parents were letting them live together. He was happy that Helga's parents were paying for her portion though. The apartment struck it big though when beeper demands went up, and he built a bigger beeper emporium. Helga had her own car that her father paid for. He was also surprised that Big Bob agreed to Helga living with the 'orphan boy,' but he'd agreed, and signed a contract Helga made up, then made copies of. She was smart, Helga. She'd make a pretty good business woman, or lawyer, but she had a different dream.  
  
'I wanna set my computer up, so I can start writing,' she said suddenly. Arnold nodded and got up to go search for it. She followed his action.  
  
'Its gotta be around here somewhere,' she said to nobody imparticular. They kept rummaging around the boxes until Helga found her laptop.  
  
'Eureka!' she shouted, lifting it up. She walked into her room and Arnold shook his head. Oh how she loved writing. It was her dream, to become a writer. She could do it. She had a way with words. Arnold smiled and continued to unpack his things.  
  
~*~  
  
'Helga,' said a voice, 'Helga,' it said louder, 'MISS PATAKI!!!" Helga was shaken out of her dream at the yells of her chemistry professor. She looked down to find her solution boiling. Quickly she shut off the heat and turned to Professor Brown.  
  
'Sorry, I just--'  
  
'Were not paying attention, again might I add,' Professor Brown interjected quite harshly. Helga looked down in ashament. Here she thought chemistry would be a good class to take, just in case she might ever need it. But how was she supposed to know Arnold would be in the same class. Unfortunately, they were not lab partners. The professor paired him with one of the cheerleaders of the football team. Classes had started a few months earlier and he instantly made first string Varsity, very unusual for a freshman, almost impossible at this school, but he was no ordinary football player. He had talent, and not an ounce of it was ever wasted. Sure he was happy to be starting quarterback all through high school, but at Notre Dame? That was an honor, and he played his position well. No, that would be an understatement. He was beyond belief one of the best football players ever. Helga envied the cheerleader that was his lab partner. She was stuck with another guy on the team, a real jerk. He quieted down a little after she showed him what she was made of, but he was still nonetheless an arrogant jerk.  
  
'Helloooooooooooo! Are you there Miss Pataki?' The professor waved his hand in front of her face. She shook out of her thoughts and returned to reality.  
  
'S-sorry, It won't happen again.' She assured him. He looked at her sternly.  
  
'I hope it doesn't ever happen to you again. I made up this last lab so you could have a good impression on the last day of chemistry. I think I've been pretty lenient, perhaps too lenient. Just be happy I gave you all your final last week so we could do experiments this week. I've known you to be a better student then this Miss Pataki, just make sure it doesn't ever happen again to you, ever.' The professor walked over to the other side of the classroom and Arnold looked over at Helga. She smiled back to tell him she was okay, and a smile returned to his face. She turned back to the lab in front of her, to be rudely interrupted by her lab partner.  
  
'Nice going Helga,' Jeff said, 'How are you going to make it through life if you continue on like that?' he asked, faking that he was worried about her. She saw right through it, she always did.  
  
'You'd better be happy that I don't send you to the hospital in time for the game again.' She brought up her fist.  
  
'If you do, I'll turn the whole football team against you. They'll all take you down.'  
  
'Guys never hit girls,' she shot back, 'besides, Arnold wouldn't let them.' A thought came to Jeff in that instant. It may be evil, but at least it would shut her up.  
  
'Oh yeah,' he said cynically, 'you're going out with Arnold. Well to tell you the truth, I think he's losing interest in you.' Helga dropped her test tube and it shattered on the floor at the last thing he said. She turned toward him.  
  
'You're bluffing,' she bent down to pick up the broken glass. 'Arnold loves me.' A sly smile crept across Jeff's face. He bent down to tell Helga the rest of what was in his evil plan.  
  
'Just take a look at him now,' He said softer so no one could her. Helga looked up to where Arnold was, 'It looks to me like they're flirting.' Sure enough, Arnold was laughing along with the cheerleader, Jenny. It wasn't really flirting, was it? Jenny playfully slapped Arnold's arm and batted her eyelashes at him coquettishly. Helga's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. They were flirting. Jeff found this very amusing.  
  
'Just think twice the next time he says he loves you.' He took the pile of broken glass over to the garbage and left Helga there, her mouth ajar. The teacher signaled the end of class, wishing everybody a nice holiday break, and everyone walked out of the classroom. Arnold walked over to Helga, and was shocked to see her on the floor. He bent down to her level.  
  
'Hey, you okay?' He asked as he helped her up. She nodded idly and started cleaning her lab up. He helped her put away the glass beakers, test tubes, and other equipment, then took her books and his own. She still looked in a daze so he helped guide her out of the room. Once he found a bench, he sat her down and sat next to her.  
  
'Helga, what's wrong?' she looked up at him for the first time really.  
  
'N-nothing,' she stuttered, 'Its nothing.' He wasn't convinced.  
  
'Are you sure? Was Jeff being a jerk again?' she shook her head, so he decided he'd ask her later. Sometimes it was better to let her think things out first, then answer questions. HE decided to change the subject.  
  
'So, you coming to the game tonight?' she shook her head and he looked hurt, 'Oh, you never miss a game. Why?'  
  
'I got homework,' she replied vaguely. What homework? The semester was over. This was their last class of college until after break. He'd ask her later. She was obviously troubled by something. He'd get it out of her later. She wouldn't answer anything now.  
  
'Come on, let's go home.' She nodded. He wrapped his arm around her waist and she almost jumped. He felt her uneasiness too. What had he done? He led her to the car and once they were both in, he turned to her again, 'Helga, what's wrong?' she shook her head and stared straight forward.  
  
'Nothing, I've just got to straighten some things out.' HE turned the car on and looked at the road.  
  
'Okay, but you know I'm always here for you, right?' he asked turning his head to her again. She continued to stare blankly forward.  
  
'Sure,' she replied. It was dumb, but he shrugged it off and drove to their apartment. He had to get ready for the big game tonight. He turned on the radio, and a song came on. He recognized it because a college buddy of his listened to soft rock. It seemed to fit the occasion perfectly.  
  
~When you feel the sunlight  
  
Fade into the cold night  
  
You don't know where to turn  
  
You don't know where to turn  
  
And all the dreams you're dreaming  
  
Seem to lose their meaning  
  
Let me in your world  
  
Baby let me in your world  
  
And all you need  
  
Is someone you can hold  
  
Don't be sad you're not alone  
  
Chorus:  
  
I will be here for you  
  
Somewhere in the night  
  
Somewhere in the night  
  
I'll shine a light for you  
  
Somewhere in the night  
  
I'll be standin' by  
  
I will be here for you  
  
In this world of strangers  
  
Of cold and friendly faces  
  
Someone you can trust  
  
I will be your shelter  
  
I'll give you my shoulder  
  
Just reach out for my love  
  
Reach out for my love  
  
Call my name  
  
And my heart will hear  
  
I will be there there's nothing to fear  
  
Chorus x2  
  
Chorusx2  
  
He looked over at Helga and he could have sworn he saw a tear roll down her cheek. If the song was written any better for the occasion, well.it couldn't be. He'd be there for her, always. (A/N: Hey, that's the title of another story of mine! :D) He just wished she'd open up more. She had been pretty open with him ever since they started going out, but all of a sudden, she closed the door again. He'd get this out of her later. And Oh! How he wished she'd go to his game.  
  
They reached the apartment and walked upstairs in silence. She walked over to her room, but turned back before she closed the door. 'Oh, good luck at your game tonight Arnold. I'm sorry I can't come. Knock em' dead like you always do. I'll see you tonight.' She walked into her room and closed the door. He stood there for a minute, almost confused again at what was happening. He walked into his own room to get ready for the game, but this matter of Helga just wouldn't leave his mind. He was worried, and couldn't think of anything else, not too good for mental preparation for the game.  
  
~^~  
  
'What are you doing out there Arnold!?' the coach screamed at his most valuable player, something he was not disposed of doing to Arnold often, 'Why isn't your head in the game!?' Arnold looked up at the coach as a medic was patching up a cut on his arm.  
  
'Sorry coach, I guess-I just have something on my mind, and it won't go away. No matter how hard I try it just won't go away.' The coach nodded. Maybe it was time Arnold took a break. This was obviously too stressful for him, and the team couldn't sacrifice one game. Arnold just wasn't himself tonight.  
  
Meanwhile, Helga watched her TV, the channel all the students had. They were losing, and Arnold wasn't doing too well. The announcer's voice came on the TV again.  
  
'The Notre Dame coach is deciding to bench their best player, number 26, Arnold for the rest of the game,' Helga was enraged and didn't take time to listen why. She picked up her pillow and hurled it at the small TV.  
  
'NO! Damnet!' the TV fell to the floor and broke. Still mad, she sat down on her bed and looked over at the picture of the tow of them on her dresser. They were so happy. The picture had Arnold in his high school uniform with his arm around her. She herself had her arms wrapped around his neck and clad a pink tank top and white shorts. It was the last game of their high school career. Gerald had taken the picture. Helga had been so proud of him. It was the state tournament and he had made the winning touchdown. They celebrated later at a party thrown by Arnold for all the football players. Naturally, he invited Helga and Phoebe too, and Gerald was on the football team with Arnold, but more people showed up. People got pretty drunk and the four of them had a hell of a time trying to clean up the mess before Arnold's parents, or grandparents found out there had been alcohol. One of his teammates snuck it in. Needless to say, Arnold's parents found out and weren't' too pleased about the alcohol, but lightened up after one of his teammates explained that it wasn't Arnold's fault.  
  
'I've gotta go see Arnold,' Helga said to herself, 'he needs me, and I think I'm the reason he sucks tonight.' She grabbed her coat, and her keys and drove to the game.  
  
~^~  
  
'Its okay Arnold,' Jeff said, feigning to show how much he was actually enjoying this, 'Its just one game.' He patted Arnold's shoulder to show the fake sympathy he was acting.  
  
'Its just, Helga's been ignoring me all afternoon. I-I don't know what happened, and.I guess I was worrying about that more than the game.'  
  
'Oh Arnold!' Jenny, one of the cheerleaders and his lab partner shouted in her skimpy uniform. She ran over to Arnold. Jeff's plan was working great. All he needed to do was slip Jenny a few twenties before the game and she would finish off his plan.  
  
'I'm so sorry about the game.' She looked at Arnold with puppy dog eyes that didn't fool Arnold. He started to walk away from her.  
  
'Yeah, me too.'  
  
'Wait!' she shouted, and he turned around as she walked up to him and hugged him close to her. Arnold started backing up.  
  
'Jenny, let go of me, I have a girlfriend.'  
  
'Oh Arnold, just one kiss.' She pulled Arnold's head to hers and latched her lips upon his. They tasted like poison to him, poison from the serpent of the devil.  
  
It was her plan to apologize and talk this whole thing over with him, but when she saw their lips connect, Helga lost all feeling. It felt like someone had just given her the biggest slap of her life. He struggled to get out of Jenny's grip, but Jeff was too quick for him. He walked over to a shocked Helga and said something that officially broke her heart.  
  
'See, I told you so.' Her eyes flooded with tears as she shook her head and ran out of there, as fast as she could. Arnold finally got free of Jenny and started to fun after her.  
  
'Helga! Wait!' he yelled as he ran, 'Its not what you think!' she stopped suddenly and turned to him. He saw the hurt in her eyes, but he knew it was Jeff who had hurt her. This was all Jeff's fault. Her eyes turned from hurt, to icy cold. He felt the change, as her eyes pierced through and froze his heart.  
  
'WHAT!' she screamed, 'Its not what I think!? What, do you think I'm stupid Arnold!? I know what I saw, and I also know that I never want to see you again!' she turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm to turn her around. She turned around all right, and then she slapped him as a burning, stinging sensation floodid to his face. She stared him dead in the eye as he held his cheek in pain.  
  
'No, you listen to m. After break, I'm moving out. I never want to see you or your stupid football head ever again, ever!!' He let her go and she walked out of there. He could feel a moist sensation falling onto the hand that still held his face. He was crying. He never cried.  
  
Jeff and Jenny watched triumphantly at the end of the hall as Arnold hung his head and headed for the locker room.  
  
'Mission, complete.' Jeff said to Jenny as he gave her a hi-five, 'Good work sweetie.' He said as he kissed his girlfriend that nobody knew about. He had told her to flirt with Arnold, and he'd come up with a plan later, and he did. Jenny would only do it if he paid her though. Oh well, at least Helga was hurt now. Maybe she'd never return to Notre Dame after this. She may never return to Indiana as a matter of fact. He would never have to see her ever again. Perfect, he smiled.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Wow. What's going to happen to Arnold and Helga? Well, there's still a lot more to come, so don't stop reading. I'll have the next chapter up soon. You honestly don't think I'd end it between those two after two chapters? Nope. Just wait till the next chapter. So, r/r ,and  
  
C ya l8ter!  
  
Arnoldnhelga4eva 


	3. Bounce Back

Where We're From  
  
By Arnoldnhelga4eva  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own HA, or Christina Aguilera's song Dirrty, or Celine Dion's song, The Reason.  
  
Hey, I'm back. Hope you like chapter three.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Chapter Three: Bounce Back  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
'My parents returned to Hillwood for their Holiday break, apart. My mother traded her ticket in for an earlier flight. About a month had passed and my father had told Gerald, who was also back on break, everything. Of course, knowing Arnold his entire life, Gerlad trusted my father, and agreed that it was a rotten thing for Jeff to do. My mother never told me what happened with her, but I'm sure she told Phoebe. Then the world only got worse for my father. His grandparents of 92 years had died.'  
  
~^*^~  
  
Sure enough, Helga had told Phoebe everything. Phoebe had tried to calm her down, to tell her it was probably a misunderstanding, but Helga being the stubborn woman she was, stood her ground. Helga was convinced Arnold had cheated on her.  
  
Phoebe consoled Gerald about this situation, and he told her what Arnold had told him. Phoebe passed the information on to Helga, who rejected it, saying that Gerald wouldn't say anything bad about Arnold. Phoebe had almost given up, when she had a sudden idea at one o'clock in the morning.  
  
'Hello?' A groggy voice asked over the phone.  
  
'Gerald, its Phoebe. I have a marvelous idea that is certain to get Helga and Arnold back together.' Gerald moaned over the phone, not at all happy that he had been woken up at such an unreasonable hour.  
  
'Phoebe, honey. Go back to sleep. We'll talk about this in the morning.'  
  
'No, just listen.' Gerald sighed in defeat.  
  
'Fine, what is it?'  
  
'Helga's going to throw a party.'  
  
~^~  
  
Jayme's cheeks turned red, knowing the real ending, but she didn't want to tell this crowd the entire story.  
  
'So, to make a long story short, my parents both ended up at the same party, and got back together. They returned to Indiana with a stronger relationship than before.'  
  
While Jayme finished her Eulogy, Gerald remembered what really happened. He knew it was right what Jayme did. She wouldn't want to embarrass her parents, not at their own funeral. But thanks to Gerald and Phoebe, Arnold and Helga had been reunited.  
  
~^~  
  
Phoebe suggested to Helga that she have a party for all their classmates that had returned for the two week Holiday break. Phoebe knew that it wasn't healthy for Helga to be sulking, already a week into break, so she talked Helga into the party when her parents were away for the weekend. The only thing Helga didn't know was that she was being set up.  
  
'Come on Arnold, I know your grandparents died, but you've got to carry on, Its what they would have wanted.' Gerald told Arnold one day when they went cruising outside of town.  
  
'I don't know Gerald. I mean, I doubt Helga would want me there. I did after all, according to her, cheat on her.' Arnold replied sullenly.  
  
'But you didn't, and you know you didn't,' Gerald stopped the car on the side of a dirt road and turned the engine off. He turned to face his best friend who was staring nonchalantly out the window.  
  
'What happened to the optimistic guy I always knew?' Arnold shrugged.  
  
I don't know, why don't you go find him.' Gerald decided to let that one pass. He knew Arnold was going through a tough time. He lost three people, all in the same week: his girlfriend, and his grandparents.  
  
'Hey man, lets just go to the party. You might not even see Helga.' Arnold continued to stare out the window, 'C'mon man, just for old times sakes?' Arnold sighed.  
  
'Okay, for old times sakes.' Arnold looked over at Gerald and tried to put a smile on his face. Gerald smiled back. They did their secret shake and Gerald started the car back up.  
  
'There we go buddy. Now we've just gotta find something for you to wear. That shouldn't be a problem since I am the coolest dresser in the country.' Arnold smiled at his best friend as they drove back to town, and Gerald started to formulate a plan in his head. It was foolproof. He had to call Phoebe after he dropped Arnold off.  
  
~^~  
  
Arnold and Gerald arrived at the Pataki residence. They could hear the music blaring from inside as people entered Helga's house. Gerald knew about the DJ Phoebe hired. It was Brainy. It was all a part of Gerald and Phoebe's little plan. All they needed to do was put it into action, and Phoebe had done most of her part, now it was time for Gerald's contribution.  
  
Arnold walked in and was instantly stunned. The first person he laid eyes on was Helga. She was HOT! Her long blond hair flowed down her back and floated every time she turned around while she was dancing. She was wearing a pretty short jean skirt with slits in the sides. She also clad a pink halter top, but was barefoot. He watched her dance for a while and remembered how good of a dancer she was. She had hips like Shakira, moves like Britney Spears, and clothes like Christina Aguilera, clothes that were barely there.  
  
'We have to leave now,' Arnold started to walk out the door, but Gerald pulled him back.  
  
'Relax man, its not like she's gonna see you. Lets just go into the kitchen and get something to drink. Then we'll dance with some ladies, of course, I'll dance with Phoebe.' Arnold nodded and followed Gerald into the kitchen. Helga just happened to look over and spot Arnold. She became infuriated. Seeking out Phoebe, she practically blew up.  
  
'Phoebes, why is he here!?' Phoebe acted like she had no clue what Helga was talking about.  
  
'What do you mean Helga?' she asked fatuously.  
  
'Really Phoebe, I thought you were the genius, but let me spell it out for you. WHY DID FOOTBALL HEAD JUST WLK INTO MY KITCHEN!?!?'  
  
'Was he with Gerald?' Phoebe asked. Helga's eyes widened in realization.  
  
'You knew about this!?' Phoebe stopped dancing and looked at Helga shocked. She lowered her head in shame.  
  
'Please don't hate me Helga,' she said before she walked away, 'You'll thank me someday.' Helga watched Phoebe walk into Helga's kitchen as Arnold walked out, and into the trophy room. Helga snickered a little since that was practically the make-out room. She laughed even harder when she watched him walk out with a shocked look on his face. She loved it when he made stupid mistakes like that.wait a minute. Did she just think that?  
  
She brushed it off and went back to dancing in the crowd. Shakira's song objection came on and she mesmerized the guys with her hips. Arnold watched from a chair in the corner. He was too depressed to dance, even though a few other girls had asked him. He wasn't over Helga, and didn't think he ever could be.  
  
Gerald watched his best friend in the corner and as the song ended, signaled to Brainy to put on the song, the song that would get them back together.  
  
All the guys cheered for Helga when Christina Aguilera's song, Dirrty came on, but Gerald pulled her aside for a moment.  
  
'Hey, watch it Hair boy! What do YOU want!?' she snapped at him, obviously annoyed.  
  
'Look Helga, Arnold's really depressed--'  
  
'Why would I care,' she interjected harshly, 'Why would he be depressed? He broke MY heart.'  
  
'His grandparents died,' Gerald said before she could say anything else. Helga's face lost its icy glare and turned soft. She was shocked, and sad. She knew how much his grandparents meant to him. They had practically raised him.  
  
~Dirrty~  
  
~Filthy~  
  
~Nasty~  
  
'What do you want?' she asked him.  
  
'Do you still love him?' she was shocked by the forwardness in his question.  
  
~Too dirrty to clean my act up~  
  
She hesitated for a moment, but then answered.  
  
'Yes, I still love him.'  
  
'Go dance with him.'  
  
~If you ain't dirrty.you ain't here to PARTY!~  
  
She nodded, but had more than dancing as a plan. She was sorry that she ever broke up with him. That stupid bitch Jenny was probably kissing him, she was just to engrossed in what Jeff had said to realize it. Her stupid pride had kept her from believing the truth. She loved him, even though she had been mad at him.  
  
~Ladies move, gentlemen move~  
  
~Somebody ring the alarm~  
  
~a fire on the roof~  
  
~Ring the alarm (And I'm throwin elbows)~  
  
~I said ring the alarm (And I'm throwin elbows)~  
  
~Ring the alarm (And I'm throwin elbows)~  
  
She walked into the middle of her living room and swung her hips in a circle as she picked Arnold out of the crowd again. He was staring intently at her. She locked a gaze with him and smiled slightly, making his eyes brighten to a brighter shade of green.  
  
~Ooh, I'm overdue~  
  
~Gimme some room, I'm coming through~  
  
~Paid my dues, I'm in the mood~  
  
~Me and my girls gonna shake the room~  
  
She started dancing and danced over to where Arnold was. He looked up at her as she looked down at him. She grabbed his hands and pulled him up, dragging him into the middle of the room.  
  
~DJ's spinnin (Show your hands)~  
  
~And let's get dirrty (that's my jam)~  
  
~I need that.to get me off~  
  
~Sweatin' till my clothes come off~  
  
She wrapped her arms around his neck and after a second of hesitation, he wrapped his around her waist they moved and swayed to the music, and became lost in the beat.  
  
~It's explosive, speakers are thumpin'~  
  
~Still jumpin', 6 in the morning~  
  
~Table dancin', glasses are crashin'~  
  
~No question, time for some action!  
  
~Temperature's up (Can you feel it?)~  
  
~'Bout to erupt (so get)~  
  
~Gonna get my girls~  
  
~Get your boys~  
  
~Gonna make some noise.~  
  
'Helga,' he started a little shakily, almost afraid she would leave again, 'I-I'm sorry. I didn't really cheat on you though, I-'  
  
'I know,' she interjected,' and I'm sorry for not believing you.' She looked him straight in the eye and he stared back. At that moment they were the only two in the room, no one else existed to them.  
  
~Gonna get rowdy~  
  
~Gonna get a little unluly~  
  
~Get it fired up in a hurry~  
  
~Wanna get dirrty~  
  
~t's about time that I came to start the party~  
  
~Sweat drippin' over my body~  
  
~Dancin' getting' just a little naughty~  
  
~Wanna get dirrty~  
  
~It's about time for my arrival~  
  
She lifted her arms above her head and swayed her hips to the music. His hands traveled the length of her body, up and down.  
  
~Ahh, heat is up~  
  
~So ladies, fellas, drop your cups~  
  
~Body's hot from front to back~  
  
~Move your ass, I like that~  
  
~Tight hip huggers (low fo' sho')  
  
~Shake a little something' (On the floor)~  
  
~I need that.to get me off~  
  
~Sweatin' till my clothes come off~  
  
She wrapped her arms back around him again and pulled him closer. Their faces were inches, no centimeters away from each other. Their breaths mingled, their eyes seemed to feign reality. He moved first, and dropped his lips onto hers. She hesitated for a moment, but kissed back, with more urgency then ever.  
  
~Let's get open, cause a commotion~  
  
~We're still goin', 8 in the morning~  
  
~There's no stoppin', we keep it poppin'~  
  
~Hard rockin', everyone's talkin'~  
  
She pulled back realizing they were in public, slightly out of breath form her previous actions. Oh god how she loved those bright green eyes. She missed them so much.  
  
'I love you, I'm sorry,' she started to cry, 'Oh god Arnold I love you!' she pulled him back to her and they kissed again. He pulled back, drying her tears with his thumb, wiping back tears of his own.  
  
'God Helga, I love you too. I missed you so much,' He kissed her again but she pulled back.  
  
~Be all you got (Give it to me)~  
  
~Just hit the spot~  
  
~Gonna get my girls~  
  
~Get your boys~  
  
~Gonna make some noise~  
  
Rowdy~  
  
~Gonna get a little unruly~  
  
~Get it fired up in a hurry~  
  
~Wanna get dirrty~  
  
~It's about time that I came to st art the party~  
  
~Sweat drippin' over my body~  
  
~Dancin' getting' just a little maughty~  
  
~Wanna get dirrty~  
  
~It's about time for my arrival~  
  
'Let's talk,' she told him as she pulled away. She grabbed his hand and pulled him upstairs to her room. Gerald saw them head upstairs and decided to follow, to make sure everything was okay.  
  
~Here it comes~  
  
~It's the one you been waitin' on~  
  
~Get up, get it up~  
  
~Yo, that's what's up~  
  
~Givin' just what you want to the maximum~  
  
~Uh oh~  
  
~Here we go~  
  
~You can tell when the music starts to drop~  
  
~That's when we take it to the parking lot~  
  
~And I betcha somebody's gonna call the cops~  
  
~Uh oh's, here we go's~  
  
~Ohh.yeahh.~  
  
She led him into her room and locked the door behind them. Instantly she leapt into his arms and fed him hungry kisses. He returned them graciously as everything spun. He was here, and she was the only other person in the world. It was exhilarating, a new kind of ecstasy to him. He'd never felt this way when he kissed her in the past. It was hard being away from the person you loved for even a day.  
  
Her hands fell down to his shirt buttons as he finally realized what was happening. Suddenly he freaked out. What if she wasn't ready!? This is impulsive. What's gonna happen after tonight? Would he be good enough for her?  
  
'Helga,' he broke her kiss panting heavily. She had his shirt off and turned her gaze from his strong chest to his eyes, 'Are you sure you're ready?' she smiled and removed her shirt for him. His eyes widened.  
  
'I'm ready,' she kissed him, kissed him, and some more. They got lost in each other. This was forever, but it was right. It felt right. What would happen back at Notre Dame?  
  
Gerald listened through the door, until he heard what Helga said. That was his cue to leave these two alone. They went a little too far, but they made up, and that's what was important. They were in love again, or they had let each other know that. Gerald went to find Phoebe. Their plan was complete.  
  
As he walked downstairs, a new song stared playing, and he could tell that Phoebe had told brainy.  
  
~I've figured it out~  
  
~I was high and low and every where in between~  
  
~I was wicked and wild, baby, you know what I mean~  
  
~Till there was you, yeah, you  
  
~Something went wrong~  
  
~I made a deal with the devil for an empty I.O.U.~  
  
~been to hell and back, but an angel was looking thorugh~  
  
~It was you, yeah, you~  
  
~Its all because of you~  
  
~You are the reason~  
  
~you are the reason I wake up every day~  
  
~And sleep thought the night~ ~You are the reason, the reason~  
  
Gerald went to go find Phoebe. This song was perfect for them as well. She was the reason for him. He couldn't live without Phoebe.  
  
~In the middle of the night~  
  
~I'm going down cause I adore you~  
  
~I want to floor you.~  
  
~^*^~  
  
Gerald's eyes filled with tears. Arnold was gone, his best friend in the world was gone. Why did this have to happen? He looked to the side where his wife, Phoebe wiped her tears away.  
  
Phoebe too remembered that night. She also remembered the next morning, after everyone finally left.  
  
~^*^~  
  
There was a loud knock on the door. What a rude awakening to such a wonderful night of sleep. Helga's eyes struggled open as she gazed over to the door where the awful sound was coming from.  
  
'What!?' she yelled at the person on the other side.  
  
'Its Phoebe Helga, can I come in?' Helga gasped. She looked down to find Arnold.well, how he was the night before. She started to panic.  
  
'Uhhh.just a second Phoebes!' she yelled. She looked down at Arnold again and shook him, 'Arnold, hey football head, wake up!' She whispered loudly in his ear. His eyes fluttered open relentlessly. He looked up at her a little shocked for a second, but then remembered the previous night.  
  
'Hey,' he said softly, placing his hand on her cheek. She blushed furiously, but no time could be wasted.  
  
'Phoebe wants to come in. You need to get dressed and hide in my closet.' HE looked confused and hurt at the same time.  
  
'Why do I need to do that?' He asked. She sighed and rolled her eyes. How dense could he be?  
  
'So she doesn't know that we.well, you know.' He nodded and moved towards his clothes, putting them back on. She did the same as a knocking came again at the door.  
  
'Just a second Phoebe!' Helga yelled.  
  
'You can talk to Phoebe,' said a masculine voice. Helga and Arnold's eyes widened, 'I wanna talk to Arnold.' Arnold and Helga looked at one another incredulously. How had Gerald known? As a matter of fact, how had Phoebe known? Had they truly set this up? Helga knew they were up to something.  
  
'Uhhh.just a second,' Arnold stuttered. He leaned over to kiss Helga briefly, 'Good luck,' he smiled. She smiled back, then got up to go unlock the door and let their best friends in. Gerald took Arnold out right away and drug him downstairs. Helga and Phoebe watched them go, then Phoebe turned to Helga.  
  
'I didn't intend on you two going so far. Gerald and I had just planned on getting the two of you to apologize, and then date again.' Phoebe had a look of disappointment on her face. It was true though. Phoebe and Gerald's plan was to get them back together, not lose their virginity. Helga looked down ashamedly.  
  
'Well, do you wanna still hear about how we got up here?' she looked up at Phoebe with a half smile, which made Phoebe smile as well.  
  
Meanwhile in the trophy room of the Pataki household, Arnold and Gerald were having a conversation of their own.  
  
'Are you sure she was ready man?' Arnold just nodded.  
  
'She told me she was.' Gerald shook his head.  
  
'Mm mm mm mm mm. You two sure went to town last night,' Arnold blushed. Gerald pointed to Arnold's neck, 'Go look in the mirror man,' Arnold got off the couch and went to a mirror in the hallway. Sure enough, there was a hickey the size of his fist on his neck, well, not literally. But it was noticeable. Arnold returned to the room where Gerald was.  
  
'Well, at least we made up,' Gerald just nodded.  
  
'Sure man, sure,' he paused for a second, then added, 'Was she good?' Arnold blushed as red as a tomato. Before he could answer, Phoebe and Helga walked downstairs.  
  
'I think we need to clean up now.' Helga stated the obvious. Arnold looked up to Helga and they locked a gaze. Arnold was the first to break away.  
  
'Y-yeah, it's a mess. We should clean up before your parents get back.' Helga nodded as they started to pick garbage off the ground and tidy things up. Phoebe and Gerald just shook their heads, then smiled at one another. Things would never be the same again.  
  
~^*^~  
  
Phoebe wiped a tear from her aged eye as she watched Helga and Arnold's son, Sean approach the podium for his eulogy. Even though it was obvious, he was trying to hide his tears. He was a lot like Helga. He never wanted to show his weakness, but he also had a soft side. He started his eulogy.  
  
'I hated it when my parents tried to make me play sports, but now I thank them.  
  
'My father was an exceptional athlete, and my mother wasn't too bad herself. They tried to get me to play every sport: football, basketball, baseball, even swimming. It wasn't till later I found my calling in hockey, and it was my father's incredible athletic abilities that got me there. If they never got married, my sisters and I would never be here.'  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Okay, so I hope you understand by now that the eulogies aren't what I have written exactly. They're really flashbacks, but the speaker knows what really happened. Understand? If not, tell me and I'll think of another way to explain it. Anyway, r/r and.  
  
C ya l8ter!  
  
Arnoldnhelga4eva 


	4. Marry Me

Where We're From  
  
By Arnoldnhelga4eva  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own hey Arnold.  
  
Hey, here's chapter four. Enjoy  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Chapter four: Marry Me  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Four years at Notre dame flew by quickly and Helga and Arnold graduated, and Arnold got drafted into the NFL. He played for the Minnesota Vikings, a team that really needed him. Helga herself became a writer, at first writing newspaper articles while starting a book titled, Unrequited Love. Together they moved to Minnesota. Wait, that hasn't been mentioned yet, has it? They were engaged.  
  
It happened on a warm sultry day when Arnold and Helga were picnicking on the icy waters edge of Lake Superior. The lake seemed like an ocean. They often took long walks upon the agates of Superior, gazing into the sea. They had moved in together, but neither had made a move yet, but that would all change.  
  
On this particular night the moon reflected off her eyes, which sparkled like the stars in the clear sky. The sky blanked over them, and seemed to make it so they were the only two in existence.  
  
They were walking along the rocks as usual, when Helga stopped to pick up an agate that had been beautifully carved by the lake over time.  
  
'Oh Arnold, isn't it beautiful?' she asked gazing lazily into his eyes. He smiled back in return.  
  
'It reminds me of how beautiful you are.' He replied. She smiled and walked over to him, planting a kiss on his cheek. Then she took his hand and opened it, placing the stone in his palm.  
  
'Take it.' She smiled, her eyes dancing with that sparkle none other's could hold. He felt in his pocket for the item. There it was. He grasped it tightly in his hand and knelt down. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. Yes, he was nervous, but he wanted to spend forever with her.  
  
'Well, you've given me something, now I want to give you something.' He opened the small box, which harbored the ring he picked out for her to wear on her finger for eternity. Her eyes lit up even more than before as she gasped. He took her shaking hand in his own and smiled up at her.  
  
'Will you marry me Helga Pataki?' She was completely stunned, and didn't know what to do. Of course she loved him, but why wouldn't her muscles allow her to move? She nodded, the only movement she could manage.  
  
'Y-yes,' she cracked a smile so big that it made him smile even more, 'yes! I want to spend the rest of my life with you!' He got up off his knee and placed the ring on her fourth finger on her left hand. After that he moved his gaze to her eyes. Oh how they sparkled, even when darkness covered them. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist as she wrapped hers around his neck. They moved closer.closer.closer, until their lips met once again. They kissed under the pallid moonlight streaming its reflection upon the icy waters of superior; warming them more from its iridescent glow. The night couldn't have turned out more perfect. It was perfect.  
  
~^~  
  
The invitations had been sent, the arrangements had been made, outfits tailored, everything was ready, almost everything.  
  
A week before the wedding, Arnold and Helga returned to their hometown for a surprise wedding shower. Rhonda planned it, obviously. She wanted it to be an exquisite rendezvous, with little finger sandwiches and everything. Helga and Arnold were, nevertheless, surprised at this wonderful party. It just never seemed like a party, not without.  
  
'Hey grandma, grandpa,' Arnold knelt down at the graves that harbored his grandparents, 'So I'm getting married. You kept telling me, grandpa. You told me over and over again when I was younger that Helga liked me. You were never wrong, even when it came to raspberries. I think I ate one too many at Rhonda's party,' he chuckled slightly at the advice his grandpa always gave him, never eat raspberries.  
  
'I think if you were here grandma, that you and Helga would really have a lot in common. You never really got to know her,' he wiped a tear from his eye, 'I think you both would really like her, you always said grandpa, that you felt bad for her, because she never got any attention at home. Don't worry, I'll give her attention. I think I always have, that's why she's picked on me my whole life. And I love her, as much as you love grandma.'  
  
Helga watched the flaxen boy of her childhood stand, talking to the ground, as if it would talk back. She knew how much his grandparents meant to him. They were at the party, and he disappeared all of a sudden. She was afraid he might go somewhere as a last minute bachelor thing with friends, but Gerald told her that he went for a walk. She knew what that meant.  
  
He always came here to clear his head lately. It only seemed natural to him because his grandfather had always given him advice as a child, so it only seemed natural for Arnold to tell them everything. Helga loved that about him. How he loved his grandparents so much. She wished she could do the same with her own parents, they had never been there for her.  
  
She looked up at him again. He was crying, and thought he was alone. It pained her to see him like this, so torn. She hid enough from him in her childhood; it was time to come out of her vigil stance for once.  
  
She walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked back, shocked for a moment. He relaxed once her eyes made contact with his.  
  
'Its okay Arnold,' she said softly, 'They'll always be proud of you.' He smiled and buried his face in her hair, as his tears soaked her head. She pulled him closer, and let him cry into her, like a child crying from a scraped knee. That child she knew came out to cry on her shoulder.  
  
They sat there the rest of the evening, Arnold telling stories of his grandparents to Helga. She had always loved their humorous nature, how they could be so care free. And oh! How crazy his grandmother was. The wind blew through their hair, whistling and whispering things, as if it were his grandparents. They would always stay with him; they were never truly dead.  
  
~^~  
  
The organ played the music, the music where she was supposed to enter. Her future husband waited eagerly at the altar, and the crowd grew inpatient. They were all anxious to see her dress, they were all anxious to see her. They were all excited, but no one was more excited than Arnold. He was about to see his future wife, but where was she?  
  
Helga sat on a bench, outside the entrance. It wasn't that she wasn't excited to get married, she had never waited for anything more in her life. She was scared. This was forever, and she loved him. She was afraid he might not love her forever. Phoebe came through the bushes, the entrance to the aisle, made of rose petals.  
  
'Helga?' she looked up at her Asian friend, 'Helga, what's wrong?' Helga just shook her head.  
  
'I-I don't know Phoebe, I mean, I love him, I'm just.scared,' she looked down at her hands as if she had sinned, but being scared was no sin. It was normal. Phoebe smiled.  
  
'Oh Helga, everybody gets the wedding jitters. I believe you're just anticipating the outcome of your future years to come. I'm sure.'  
  
'Phoebes,' Helga interjected, 'Quit doing your job. I don't need a psychologist, I need a best friend.' Phoebe wasn't hurt at this remark, Helga was just scared.  
  
'I'm right here Helga, and I'll be next to you the entire time.' Phoebe put her hand on her best friend's shoulder. Helga looked up and smiled at her.  
  
'What if I forget what to say?' Phoebe laughed.  
  
'Don't worry, just answer the question from your heart. That's all you can do.' Both friends smiled at each other as Rhonda came bursting in.  
  
'Helga, everyone's worried! And poor Arnold is a wreck! If you don't go marry him now, I might just do it!' Rhonda smiled smugly. That got Helga on her feet pretty quickly. Rhonda admired the dress she designed for Helga.  
  
'You know, pink's not your only color, Helga. White is good too,' Rhonda said. Helga just smirked.  
  
'White isn't a color princess.' Rhonda smiled.  
  
'You'll never change, now get out there! Your poor fiancée is sweating like craxy!'  
  
All three women ran over to the entrance. Phoebe and Rhonda smoothed out their dresses and re-entered, after wishing Helga good luck with a hug. The music started again.  
  
Helga entered through the greenery, and the crowd gasped. Arnold's eyes gazed from his nervous hands to his beautiful bride. She was so gorgeous. Her hair hung in ringlets along her back, which was covered by a long veil, that covered her face. The veil was short in the front, and grew longer in the back The dress hugged her body until it reached her hips, then it flowed around her and made her walk on air. Her feet never seemed to touch the ground. She was always beautiful, but this was more than anything. She moved over the grass, which was covered by pink rose petals. This garden, at the arboretum was the most gorgeous place on earth. They had picked it out one time after a day of Arnold's Vikings football practice. All the flowers seemed to speak, in colors. They made the setting more exquisite, and gorgeous. It was like getting married in heaven.  
  
Finally, after what seemed like forever, she reached the altar, and took the sweating, shaking palm of her future husband in her own. They approached the priest.  
  
'I thought you had run away,' he whispered, which tickled her ear from the sweetness of his voice. She smiled.  
  
'I could never run away from you again,' he smiled, 'I just had the wedding jitters.' He nodded and kissed the top of her veil as they finally stood in front of the priest--he started the service.  
  
'We are gathered here today to bind together Arnold Finnigan and Helga Pataki in holy matrimony.'  
  
'Do you, Helga, take Arnold to be your lawfully wedded husband, to honor and cherish, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?' Helga looked to her very soon to be husband and smiled radiantly.  
  
'I do.' His eyes lit up at those words. He'd never been happier in his entire life. The priest continued.  
  
'Do you, Arnold, take Helga to be your lawfully wedded wife, to honor and cherish, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?' He was already staring at her, his new wife. Her eyes glistened form the sun.  
  
'I do.' She smiled so brightly, that she never thought she could frown again. The priest continued.  
  
'I now pronounce you husband and wife. Arnold, you may kiss your bride.' He didn't need to be told twice. He let go of her hands and lifted her veil up. They leaned forward and locked lips, as the crowd grew wild. Here they were, married, finally. They ran out of the garden, as people threw flower petals at them, to celebrate this new unity.  
  
~^~  
  
'Arnold.' Helga, his new wife whispered to him from his arms as they lay in their wedding bed. After the reception, they were put on a plane to France, more specifically Paris, the city of love.  
  
The reception went wonderfully. Gerald had a little plan of his own while the party went on. He took Phoebe outside for a minute, and they became engaged. Arnold and Helga were so excited for them that they announced it to everyone. Then, they danced the night away to their song, Stuck on You by Lionel Richie. (A/N: This is seriously THE sweetest wedding song!)  
  
Helga shifted in her new husband's arms as he pulled her closer to him.  
  
'Hmmm?' he replied in that low, sexy voice. She couldn't help smiling.  
  
'Can you believe it? We're married,' she dug her face in his chest and giggled. He smiled and brought her face up, so he could kiss her. No more words were spoken that night, none other than names and 'I love you's.' They were so deeply in love. The CD Gerald and Phoebe had mixed for them played a song, so beautiful, so perfect.  
  
~I'm so glad we made it  
  
look how far we've come my baby  
  
we migh've took the long way  
  
we knew we'd get there some day  
  
They said, I'll bet  
  
They'll never make it  
  
But just look at us goin' now  
  
We're still together still going strong.  
  
Chorus:  
  
You're still the one I run to  
  
The one that I belong to  
  
You're still the one I want for love  
  
You're still the one that I love  
  
The only one I dream of  
  
You're still the one I kiss goodnight.~  
  
They fell asleep, in each other's arms. This was the beginning of forever together. Nothing could ever break what they had. They were ready to spend eternity together.  
  
The wind whispered and tapped the window. Arnold awoke for a moment, then fell back asleep. It was nothing, he thought, but it was. He just looked down at his new wife sleeping peacefully, and that made him fall asleep.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
So, that's it for chapter four. Stay tuned for chapter five for a big surprise!!!:D And.  
  
I'll c ya l8ter!  
  
Arnoldnhelga4eva 


	5. The Joy Life Brings

Where We're From  
  
By Arnoldnhelga4eva  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold  
  
Okay, here's chapter five. Something exciting and unexpected happens in this chapter, which leads to some chaos nine months later.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Chapter 5: The Joy Life Brings  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The door slammed shut and Arnold got his bags from the back. He was home from practice, with a huge surprise in store for him.  
  
'Arnold!' Helga came running from inside their home. They had just recently moved from Duluth to a smaller suburb close to the Vikings training center. It was their dream home. It was white, with black shutters, and had a stone pathway to the front door. Trees adorned the lawn, and shrubbery fenced their land in. she ran to him, into his arms. She had a letter in her hand.  
  
'They love it! They're going to publish it! Unrequited Love, it's going to be in stores by January!' Arnold's face brightened up once he realized what she was saying, and he hugged her close to him.  
  
'Helga, that's wonderful!' he planted a kiss in her hair, then picked her up and walked toward the door, 'I think we should celebrate,' he said seductively. She smiled, and blushed, but her face turned green as she jumped out of his arms and darted for the bathroom. He followed her; a little confused and worried. When he reached the bathroom, her body was hunched over the toilet; her entire breakfast and lunch showed grotesquely colorful in it. Just perfect. She had the flu on one of the best days of her life. When she was done throwing up, she knew she couldn't be sick. She didn't feel sick.  
  
Then an idea came to her. She counted how many days it had been in her head. A month, that was about right. She grinned inwardly, hoping she was right.  
  
'I'll be back honey,' she grabbed the keys off the hook, her cell phone off the little table and headed for the garage where her own car was. He followed her worriedly, wondering why she was all of a sudden better. She was sick; she had just thrown up. He never realized how dense he was.  
  
'Helga, no you need to rest.' He yelled after her. She jumped in her car and yelled back before she left.  
  
'It won't take long honey. I'll be right back. Don't worry.' How could he not worry as he watched her dial a few numbers on her cell phone, then pull out of the driveway and speed down the street? What the hell was she doing?  
  
Well, since she was obviously feeling better so suddenly, he decided that he might as well set things up so they could celebrate when she got back. He ran to the kitchen and looked in the refrigerator to prepare for dinner tonight. Now he just needed to find those satin sheets and candles they got for wedding presents.  
  
~*~  
  
The doctor returned into the room where Helga waited anxiously. Helga looked up, more nervous than ever. The doctor smiled and nodded. Helga's face lit up. Now, she just had to find the perfect way to tell Arnold.  
  
~*~  
  
Arnold had everything set up. It was perfect. He made a dinner, something light so it wouldn't upset her stomach again. After Olga tried to teach him how to cook at Thanksgiving, he could make a few things. He set the candles that had been given to them two years ago at their wedding, on the table. She had been gone for about three hours, and he had everything set up. It was strange though, one minute she was throwing up, the next she was fine. Something must have just upset her stomach. Arnold still didn't get it.  
  
He looked at the plates that held the spaghetti. It was a more romantic meal, but wasn't too hard on the stomach. He couldn't wait until she got home. He put some light jazz music in the CD player and lit the candles. He didn't have enough time to run out and get flowers, but otherwise the setting was perfect.  
  
Helga drove into the garage with a gigantic smile on her face. On the way home, she stopped at Phoebe's house to tell her the wonderful news. Coincidentally, Gerald was there too and he was thrilled as much as Phoebe was. She still couldn't find the right way to tell Arnold though. Maybe tonight.or maybe she should tease him.  
  
She walked through the door and into the hall. Her eyes scanned the dining room. Oh, how the candles cast an iridescent glow over the table. It was perfect, but there was something missing.  
  
Just then, a pair of hands covered her eyes and someone whispered in her ear, 'Guess who?' said the sultry voice. She giggled and took Arnold's hands off her eyes.  
  
'You dork,' she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped his around her waist and she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. He pulled back after the kiss, suddenly remembering what happened earlier.  
  
'Helga, are you okay? Why did you run out so quickly?' she rolled her eyes. He'd always been so dense. She was glad that she didn't take him with. She wanted to tell him at just the right time. That the fun women get when they find out they're pregnant, to tease their husbands until they figure it out or in Helga's case, until she tells him.  
  
'I'm fine, lets just eat. I'm starving.' He took her hand and led her to a chair, pulling it out for her, then sitting in his own. They began to eat as the music filled the air. He'd always liked jazz music, and it was so soothing; romantic. She loved his romantic side. He was so sweet, a genuine romantic.  
  
Once they finished eating, they ventured upstairs. When they were finally ready for bed, lying in each other's arms, it was time. Time for Helga to tell Arnold, since he hadn't figured it out on his own.  
  
'Arnold,' she rolled on top of him. He looked up at her and smiled.  
  
'Yes?' his eyes, the ones that she always drowned in looked at her so lovingly and she remembered why she fell in love with him. She smiled and took his hand in her own, studying his fingers meticulously, then looked back up at him. It was time.  
  
'A-Arnold, I-I'm pregnant.' His face turned shocked, and then it broke slowly into a smile.  
  
'Y-you're-- and I'm? I'm going to be a father?' Helga smiled and nodded. He put his hands behind her head and brought their lips together. She pulled back. He continued talking.  
  
'Y-you mean you're having our baby?' she rolled her eyes, but returned to a smile. How could she resist his denseness? That's what made him so innocent, so naïve. It was adorable.  
  
'Typical football head. Yes, I'd hope I'm having our baby, since you are the father, and my husband,' she said sarcastically. He loved her sarcasm, even at a time like this. She stared into his eyes lovingly and he remembered why he fell in love with her,' Who else could I possibly want to be the father of my child?' she asked him. He smiled. He loved her so much, and now they would have someone they could call their own. He looked up at her again and smiled.  
  
'I love you Helga,' she smiled in return.  
  
'I love you too, football head,' they both laughed at that and fell asleep. They dreamt of what their child would look like. Would it be a boy, or a girl? Would the baby have a football shaped head, or a unibrow? A baby-- someone all their own. Why did it have to take nine months?  
  
~*~  
  
'Phoebe, just let me help. Helga said struggling to get off the chair. It was a few weeks to the due date, but she was bigger than any normal pregnant woman. She was carrying twins! Phoebe motioned for Helga to sit back down.  
  
'No Helga. You can't lift anything. Besides, if you were to go into labor now, I don't know what we would do. I'm sure we could come up with a plan, but Arnold is at the game. From what Gerald has been shouting, it sounds like his team is winning.' Helga nodded, and sat back down. Sure, they had hired a kid to monitor Arnold's cell phone just in case, but Helga didn't want Arnold to leave the game unless he had to.  
  
A few weeks earlier Phoebe and Gerald bought a home together. They had been living in a smaller home after they got married, but after Phoebe's income was raised, they moved on to building a bigger house. They had been married two years earlier, and their wedding was the sweetest thing Helga had ever seen. She couldn't be happier for Phoebe.  
  
Her pregnancy though, Helga was doing pretty well. It was strange that she hadn't had the babies yet, considering twins usually come a month before a normal due date. Helga was happy though, she loved being pregnant. Just the joy of knowing someone is growing inside of you, two people you made with the one person you love, and that loves you. The happiness she had was so great she couldn't help but smile almost all the time.  
  
'Hey!' Gerald called from the living room where he was watching Arnold's game, 'Arnold just made another touchdown! Only five minutes to half time and they 're winning by twenty points!' Helga and Phoebe looked at each other and laughed. Helga turned toward where Gerald was.  
  
'Thanks Geraldo! You say that every game he plays!' Gerald didn't hear though because he was too engrossed in the game. Helga and Phoebe just laughed. Arnold made a deal that he would only play home games since Helga was pregnant. They were surprised that he was able to convince the coaches to letting him do that, but it was so close to Helga's due date. Arnold wanted to be there when his children were born.  
  
Helga was growing impatient. All Phoebe was doing was putting up pictures in the dining room, and she was struggling to get the big one up. Helga got up, once again struggling.  
  
'Come on Phoebe. It wouldn't really be lifting anything big. You're having trouble,' Helga walked over to Phoebe, 'I'll hold it, you hammer,' Just as Helga reached up to hold the painting, a trickle of water ran down her leg, then the rest came spurting. Helga looked down at her feet. The carpet was soaked, but that could be fixed later. Phoebe looked at Helga incredulously as Helga stared back, 'Uhhh, Gerald Call Arnold,' Helga yelled, 'My water just broke!'  
  
~*~  
  
'Okay men, its half time,' the coach yelled, 'we're creaming them out there, but we've got to come up with a clever play, something that will really throw them off. Arnold you got one? Arnold!?' Arnold was staring off, dreaming of Helga and his children, what they would look like when he was brought harshly back into reality by the barking of his coach, 'C'mon boy, get your head back into the game!' a few of Arnold's team mates snickered at that comment.  
  
'S-sorry coach. What did you say?' the coach rolled his eyes and repeated what he said. Before Arnold could answer, someone came bursting through the locker room door. Arnold was paying the boy to answer his cell phone, just in case it was Helga.  
  
'Arnold! Arnold!' the boy yelled. Arnold's teammates turned and stared at the boy. He continued, 'Your wife, her water just broke. She's going into labor!' Arnold's eyes lit up when he heard it. His teammates cheered and clapped for him. The coach came up to Arnold.  
  
'You go to your wife. You've already got us ahead, just tell me what play to use. You've got a few tricky ones up your sleeve.' Arnold smiled.  
  
'Just do the over under, triple reverse, corkscrew, Hail Mary, terminator. They'll never see it coming.' The coach smiled and gave Arnold a slap on the back. Arnold started to run for his car, but not before he told his team one more thing,  
  
'The next time you see me, I'm gonna be a dad!' The team cheered for him, then went back to the plan. Somehow, the news of Arnold's leaving got up to the stadium, and the announcer decided to tell the fans why their favorite player was gone.  
  
'Well folks, it looks like number 42, Arnold Finnigan won't be playing the rest of the game, because he's on his way to become a father! That's right folks! His wife, author Helga Pataki Finnigan just went into labor! Best of luck to them!' The crowd cheered as the news stations were contacted, and nosy reporters started making their way over to the hospital.  
  
~*~  
  
Arnold ran through the hospital doors, and up to the fifth level, the maternity section. It was kind of funny watching a man, still in his football uniform running through the waiting room until he found Gerald sitting on one of the chairs, waiting for Arnold. When Arnold came into sight, Gerald got up, beaming.  
  
'Come on man! She's in room 528,' he said while leading Arnold to Helga's room, 'Oh, by the way, nice suit,' Gerald snickered.  
  
'Very funny Gerald,' Arnold said dryly before he entered the room. There in a bed was Helga, with Phoebe sitting on a chair next to her. Helga looked up when she heard the door shut. Her eyes sparkled and a smile grew on her face a mile wide.  
  
'Arnold!' she said excitedly. Arnold, still in his uniform walked over to her bedside and hugged her, and planted a kiss in her hair. They moved so they could stare in each other's eyes. Then they kissed. Phoebe and Gerald left the room to give them some privacy. They continued to kiss until Helga broke away, clutching her stomach and moaning in pain.  
  
'Owww! You don't know how much this hurts!' He put a hand on her stomach and held her and with the other. He was feeling quite a bit of pain too from her squeezing the life out of his hand.  
  
'Just breathe,' he instructed, brushing some stray hairs out of her face, 'just do what we learned in la maz class,' she looked up at him with a scowl on her face.  
  
'Shut up! You don't even have a clue of--owwww!' she was cut off by another sharp twang of pain hitting her stomach. When would it stop? She hated contractions.  
  
'Its okay Helga, just breathe,' she was breathing hard, still squeezing his hand when the doctor came in, while putting on some fresh gloves.  
  
'I see the father is here. Hello Arnold.' Arnold smiled at the doctor. She was an exceptionally good doctor. She was actually a friend of Phoebe's in college, at Harvard. Dr. Cameron, class Valedictorian. She was three years older than they were, and extremely smart, 'It was pretty hard getting into the room with all the press outside.' Arnold and Helga looked at each other shocked, when a reporter popped his head in the door.  
  
'Arnold, can you give channel 5 a statement on the game?' The camera started coming in behind the reporter, and behind the cameraman were even more reporters. Helga, not having any contractions at the moment, sat up and waved her fist toward the door.  
  
'Just because I'm in labor doesn't mean I can't come over there and kick your ass all the way to china if you don't get out right now!' Arnold walked toward the cameras and reporters and pushed them out of the room as Phoebe and Gerald struggled to come in.  
  
'Man! What's happening!?' We went down to the vending machines for one minute and this happens!?' Gerald yelled over all the noise.  
  
'I'll be right back,' Arnold said as he disappeared outside the room. Helga turned to Phoebe.  
  
'Turn it to channel 5!' Phoebe obeyed, and Arnold came on the screen.  
  
'I know you all want to know about what happened, but my wife just went into labor, and she needs me there,' Arnold said on TV. Hegla's eyes started to tear up. 'Right now in my life, I love two things more than anything, football and my family, but my family is a higher priority. They're more important to me and if the press would hold all questions till after our twins are born, then we might have a small press conference. It depends on how Helga's feeling though, otherwise I have no more comments.' Arnold walked back in the room, and Helga looked over from the TV with tears in her eyes. Arnold looked up at the TV, to see the nosy reporter talking. He smiled, and went to sit over by Helga and hugged her. Dr. Cameron smiled.  
  
'Well, hopefully that will keep them away for a while. They need to clear out of there though, just in case a patient needs an emergency c-section or something else happens.'  
  
'We'll go talk to them,' Phoebe chimed in. Phoebe and Gerald walked over to their best friends. Phoebe took Helga's hand, 'Good luck Helga, I can't wait to see your twins!' She said with a wink. Helga could only smile and hug her.  
  
'Thanks Phoebes.'  
  
'Good luck man,' Gerald put his thumb up to Arnold's and they did their secret thumb shake. Gerald chuckled, 'You should still put something on over that.' Arnold smiled.  
  
'Thanks man, I appreciate it.' He said jokingly. Phoebe and Gerald left, so Dr. Cameron started what she was supposed to do in the first place.  
  
'Okay, lets see how far along you are,' the doctor examined Helga as Helga clutched Arnold's hand for dear life. Dr. Cameron stood up and pulled her gloves off, throwing them into the trashcan next to her.  
  
'Well, it looks like you're four centimeters, so if it keeps going as it is, you should go to the delivery room shortly.' Helga and Arnold nodded, Arnold happy, but Helga had never been more scared in her entire life. Dr. Cameron left, and Helga turned to Arnold.  
  
'Arnold,' she sobbed, 'I can't do this! I just can't! I can't push two kids out! Its impossible!' Arnold took her frantic hand and rubbed the back of her palm with his thumb.  
  
'Helga, you CAN do it,' he said, putting his forehead to hers. She still cried. 'Listen, if you could save the neighborhood with me and Gerald, nothing is impossible. If you could help me find my parents in the jungle like you did, you've conquered the impossible. In preschool, all the way through college, you could beat up anyone who came in your way, even though it wasn't exactly the right thing to do. But the point is, you can do anything.' She looked down at their hands.  
  
'That was Helga Pataki, but I'm not her anymore. I've changed, and the new Helga can't handle it.' He looked hurt. Just because she married him, she can't be the same Helga she always was? She'd always be Helga Pataki.  
  
'That's not true. At heart, you'll always be Helga Pataki; the smartest, strongest, wittiest, most beautiful romantic woman I've ever known. I fell in love with Helga Pataki, and I still love her. She's still here, she just has a new name. You can do this Helga, I know you can.' She smiled and kissed him. That adorable football head, always looking on the bright side, always pushing people to do the right thing, telling them that they can do it. It was true, and he hadn't changed either.  
  
In the middle of their kiss she had another contraction, this one more painful then the last. This was going to be a long day.  
  
~^*^~  
  
'I know it seems weird to be telling about when my sisters were born, but it really shows how much my dad cared about us, and how much my mom loved him for that, but wait. There's more on that day.'  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Wow, what else could possibly happen? Tune in to find out. Oh, and just for the record, I don't have a problem with reporters. I just thought it would be funny if Helga told them to get the hell out of her room, lol. Till chapter 6, I'm Arnoldnhelga4eva saying,  
  
C ya l8ter!  
  
Arnoldnhelga4eva (wait, didn't I already say that?)  
  
P.S. Hey guys, I'm gonna need a little more support than what I've gotten with reviews. I'd like to thank Brianaluvsfootballhead and TaDahmon for reviewing, but please guys. It took me three months to write this. I'm gonna need a little more encouragement to keep posting this story. 


	6. New Life and Hospitals

Where We're From  
  
By Arnoldnhelga4eva  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own HA (I'm getting sick of writing these. I should put a disclaimer in my profile)  
  
Hey, sorry it took a week, but here's chapter six. I just want to thank all my reviewers sooooooo much. That really brought my spirits up. I thought people were losing interest in my story, so keep reviewing. It's the only way I know what you guys are thinking. Again, thanks sooo much!!!:D So here's chapter six, enjoy!:D  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Chapter six: New Life and Hospitals  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Dr. Cameron entered as Helga was in the middle of another contraction. She put on her gloves, and checked her vitals before she checked how many centimeters Helga was. Dr. Cameron sat up, smiling.  
  
'Helga, you're ten centimeters,' Arnold and Helga looked up, shocked, 'You two are about to be parents.' Arnold and Helga both smiled, until Helga felt another sharp pain in her stomach. She winced and held her stomach.  
  
'Okay, lets hurry up and get them out of me before they try and kill me.' Helga yelled, still clutching her stomach. She moaned from the pain as Arnold held her hand. Helga began to be wheeled out of her room, toward the delivery room. They passed the waiting room where the press was waiting impatiently. A reporter saw them and got up as photographers took pictures. Arnold stood on one side of Helga so they couldn't get a clear picture of Helga, only the back of Arnold in his football uniform. Phoebe and Gerald rushed over.  
  
'Good luck Helga and Arnold!' Phoebe said. Helga managed a small smile through all the heavy breathing and Arnold smiled as well.  
  
'Thanks Phoebe.' Gerald came up behind his wife.  
  
'Next time I see you you'll be a daddy man!' Arnold and Gerald did their thumb shake quickly, but they started to wheel Helga away, so he ran to catch up with her.  
  
'Good luck!' Gerald yelled. He wrapped his arm around his own wife lovingly, and whispered in her ear.  
  
'You know, I've always wondered what it would be like if we had a kid.' Phoebe giggled.  
  
'Two is enough for today,' she paused briefly, 'but how about tomorrow?' Gerald smiled and kissed her.  
  
'I love you,' he whispered against her lips.  
  
'I love you too.'  
  
~*~  
  
'Okay Helga, on the count of three, you're going to push,' Helga nodded for what seemed like the thousandth time that day. Her body was drenched in sweat. Arnold held her hand.  
  
'One, two, three,' she pushed with every ounce of energy stored in her. Her head spun, the blood pounded throughout her body, which had grown numb. She couldn't feel anything; she couldn't hear anything, until finally a sound broke the barrier. A small, innocent wail. She gave up as she fell forward, heaving for air. Arnold's forehead touched hers.  
  
'She's here,' he said softly, flowing smoothly through her ears. She jerked her head up to see a tiny person in front of her. It was hers, and Arnold's. This was their baby. Helga put her hand to her mouth as tears flooded her eyes. She let out a small cry.  
  
'Oh my god, she?' she cried. She looked over at Arnold who had tears in his eyes as well; 'she's so little.' The nurse brought her to the back of the room. Helga started to panic.  
  
'No, where's she taking her!? Is there something wrong?' she yelled. Arnold took her panicked hand and shushed her.  
  
'No, honey. She's just getting cleaned up. Besides, you still have another one inside of you,' he said touching her stomach. Helga sniffed, then nodded. She'd have to go through all that all over again. Then again, it all happened so quickly that she could barely remember what had just happened.  
  
The nurse brought their little baby girl over and handed her to Helga. The baby opened her tiny little blue eyes and moaned a little. It was so precious that it made Helga cry. Arnold put his arms around both of them. The same nurse came over.  
  
'Do you have a name for her yet?' Arnold smiled at Helga. They had flipped a coin earlier, and Helga got to name their first child. She sniffed and looked down at her newborn, her first child. It was perfect; she looked just like her name.  
  
'Jeana Michelle,' Helga said to the nurse. Arnold smiled down at Helga.  
  
'I love that name,' he said. She smiled back, until she had another sharp pain.  
  
'Owww!' she whimpered, clutching Jeana close to her so she wouldn't drop her. The nurse ran over quickly and took Jeana away, so Helga could deliver the second baby. Arnold took Helga's hand.  
  
'Here we go again,' he smiled, 'our second child,' Helga still winced in pain.  
  
'Good, maybe you can push this one out of your vagina!' Arnold looked at her shocked for a moment. Dr. Cameron walked back over to Helga.  
  
'Is your second child ready to come out?' she said with a smile. Helga nodded frantically as everyone took their positions.  
  
'All right, when I say push, you push. One, two, three,' Helga clutched Arnold's hand tightly,' Push.'  
  
Jeana had taken so much energy out of her, but she had a second child in her that wanted to come out too. Everything happened like last time, her head pounded, her blood rushed, everything spun and swirled around her, until she gave up.  
  
She opened one eye, expecting to see her baby, but there was no baby. She panicked.  
  
'Where is it!? Where's my second baby!? Don't tell me you dropped it on the floor!' Arnold squeezed her hand.  
  
'The baby hasn't come out yet. It's almost out though, we can see it's head.' Helga panted, and Arnold wiped the sweat off her forehead with a small towel. He brushed a few strands of hair from her face and kissed her forehead, 'You're doing great honey, you're almost there.' Helga just panted.  
  
'Just pull it out!' she yelled, 'just stick your hand in there and pull it out! I don't wanna push anymore!' Arnold was a little shocked by her comment, but Dr. Cameron and the nurses weren't too surprised. They had heard worse.  
  
'Helga, you can do it,' she started to cry a little and he gave her hand another little squeeze. 'I know it's hard, but I know you can do it.' She gazed up at him, still breathing hard, but he could see the new motivation in her eyes. She smiled.  
  
'Still my optimistic football head?' he smiled and kissed her forehead. Another pain, another contraction.  
  
'Oh god! When will they stop!?' She screamed as the doctor got ready once again for delivery.  
  
'Okay Helga, just one final push, and your baby will be here. I want you to put all your energy into this, okay,' Helga nodded, 'Okay, on my count. One, two, three.'  
  
She pushed, even harder then she pushed Jeana. She could feel every ounce of her energy being put into the baby. She felt numb, and only heard Arnold and the doctor to tell her to keep going. Oh it hurt so badly, though her body felt numb. She couldn't take it. She let out an ear-piercing scream that shook the room until the next noise was a baby's wail. She gave up, and looked up. There was her second child, and it was their second baby girl.  
  
She could feel Arnold put his arms around her from behind. He whispered in her ear, 'There she is, our second baby girl.' That made her let out a little yelp of joy. She was so beautiful; so tiny. She looked just like her sister.  
  
'Oh god,' Helga whispered as they brought her back to be cleaned up. She turned her head to Arnold. He was crying again. She smiled. She loved him, and when he cried. He was so gorgeous, just like their newborn baby girls. They brought their new baby over, with her sister, Jeana behind her with the nurse.  
  
'Here you go Helga, your second baby.' Dr. Cameron said as she placed their newest little girl into Helga's waiting arms. This little girl too opened her tiny blue eyes, which made Helga melt. Arnold lent over Helga.  
  
'Hey there Jayme.' Helga looked up at Arnold. He winked at her, and she smiled at him.  
  
I love that name,' Helga told him. He smiled and kissed her, and Jeana was brought over to them. Arnold took Jeana.  
  
'So,' said the nurse, 'Do you have a name for this second little one?' Arnold smiled and looked at Jayme.  
  
'Jayme Elizabeth,' he said. The nurse smiled and wrote things on the clipboard as Dr. Cameron came over, beaming at them.  
  
'Let's get you back to the room,' she said, 'We'll try to see if there is a back way so we don't run into the press.' Arnold and Helga nodded. Helga gave Jayme to a nurse and got onto the rolling bed and pulled up the sheets of the bed that would take them to their room. The nurse gave Jayme back, and Helga patted a spot for Arnold to sit on the edge.  
  
'C'mere,' she said. He sat down, with Jeana and another nurse wheeled them out of the delivery room. So much for going the back way. The press rushed over to where Helga and Arnold exited the delivery room and bombarded them with questions.  
  
'Arnold, did you know your team won when you were gone?' one reporter asked.  
  
'Helga, was it hard getting to the hospital since Arnold was playing the football game?' another asked. Dr. Cameron, who was right behind them, yelled for everyone.  
  
'People! Clear a path! They just had two babies, let them alone for a little while!' The press cleared a path so they could easily get through. Arnold and Helga paid no attention to the crowd. They were too busy staring at the new life that lay in their arms. As they rolled by the paparazzi took pictures, but they didn't notice. They got to the room and Helga got on her won bed. Arnold sat on the end.  
  
'Oh my God Helga, I just can't believe it,' he started as he looked up at her and at Jeana at the same time. He smiled, 'You were amazing.' She blushed and looked down at Jayme.  
  
'So were they.' She kissed Jayme's head, 'They're so amazing.'  
  
~*~  
  
'Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you,' Arnold and Helga sang, 'Happy birthday dear Jeana and Jayme, happy birthday to you!' The little one-year-olds giggled at their parent's singing. They had grown so much over a year, and boy did that year fly by quickly.  
  
Jeana and Jayme giggled and crawled over to Helga and Arnold. They each picked up a child and Arnold 'threw' Jeana up in the air, and caught her on the way down. Jayme laughed, waving her chubby arms in the air. Jeana laughed at her sister. Arnold and Helga laughed and put their children down on the ground to play. Helga rested her head on her husband's shoulder as they watched their two children play with baby toys. Helga glanced up at the clock and noticed it was already seven thirty, and the twins hadn't been bathed yet. She jumped up quickly.  
  
'Arnold, it's almost eight, we need to get them to bed, so they'll sleep tonight!' Arnold chuckled and got up from his spot, wrapping his arms around his loving wife.  
  
'I love your maternal side,' he told her. She smirked and turned around, wrapping her arms around his waist.  
  
'That's what happens when you love someone so much,' he smiled and kissed her. The twins giggled, taking their parents out of their kiss. Helga and Arnold looked over at their girls, and Arnold laughed.  
  
'So you want to go to bed, do you?' Jayme giggled and clapped her tiny hands. Helga looked over at Jeana, who seemed a little pale. She went over and picked her up, putting her hand to her forehead.  
  
'Are you feeling okay honey?' Helga asked worriedly at first, but Jeana's forehead didn't seem too warm. Arnold walked over to Helga and looked at Jeana.  
  
'She looks a little pale, but its probably just a baby cold,' he said before he gave Jeana a small peck on the head. 'I think you're just a little paranoid.'  
  
'I hope so,' was all Helga said before she picked Jayme up as well, and brought the twins upstairs for their nightly baths.  
  
~*~  
  
Helga opened her eyes relentlessly. She looked over at the clock, three in the morning. She awoke from the sounds of one of the twins crying, through the baby monitors. Helga slipped out of Arnold's warm arms and put on a robe before she went to their room. She looked inside, and saw Jayme crying. She picked her up and started to rock her, and shushed her. Almost immediately, Jayme stopped crying, but a new sound was heard. Helga peered over at Jeana's crib to find the shock of her life. She placed Jayme back in her crib and picked Jeana up from hers.  
  
As fast as she could she ran to their bedroom, as Jeana struggled to breathe, not being able to cry. Helga could tell she wanted to cry so badly, but she couldn't. She couldn't' even breathe. She flung the door open, making it crash against the wall. A startled Arnold awoke suddenly, peering up at his frantic wife.  
  
'She's not breathing!' Helga cried. Arnold's eyes widened in terror.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Uh oh, what's gonna happen with baby Jeana? I guess you'll have to wait and find out till chapter seven. I'll tell you one thing though, what she has is no fun. I had it when I was a baby, all the way up till I was seven. Its called croup. Well, actually, you only get croup when you're a baby, but you get another form of it, or something like that later on. You get sudden attacks, usually during the night. It's hard to explain what happens so if you want to know look it up. Sorry. In total, I've had seven 'croup' attacks. They're scary, and I didn't know what the hell was happening. You'll find out in the next chapter what's going to happen. Until then, I'm A&H4eva saying.  
  
C ya l8ter! 


	7. Broken Dreams

Where We're From  
  
By Arnoldnhelga4eva  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold.  
  
Hey, sorry it was like three weeks for this story, but I haven't gotten around to typing till just recently, and posting it till tonight. Anyway, here's chapter 7. You're in for a big surprise toward the end.  
  
Oh, and don't mind anything I say about football, because I'm completely clueless when it comes to that game. I know nothing about it, except the different positions and some things people have attempted to teach me.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Chapter Seven: Broken Dreams  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Helga and Arnold watched Jeana sleep more peacefully now, in an air tent. Arnold hugged Helga and wiped her tears away as Helga held Jeana's hand. It had scared Helga and Arnold so much. She had looked like she was choking on air, but it was really something else. She had croup.  
  
Helga recalled the conversation they had with the doctor, about when Jayme had woken them up with her cries.  
  
'I think she knew her sister was in trouble but couldn't say anything, so Jayme told you for her. Twins have a strange intuition. Jayme saved her sister's life.'  
  
She had, though. If it hadn't been for Jayme crying in the night, they would have found Jeana the next morning, dead. Life is cruel, but you need to hit back every curve ball thrown at you.  
  
Phoebe and Gerald entered the room, carying Jayme. Helga and Arnold smiled up at them, Helga wiping a few tears back.  
  
'Look,' Arnold said to Jayme, 'It's our little hero.' Helga smiled and gave Jayme a small kiss on the nose.  
  
'You take it after your father, don't you?' Helga said as new tears formed in her eyes. The doctor returned and checked Jeana's vitals. He smiled, putting hope in their eyes.  
  
'Well, I think she's about ready to go home,' everyone in the room smiled. 'She's breathing normally again so just check up on her so she doesn't have a hard time breathing again. If it happens again, you can take her outside when it's cold, but remember to bundle her up. If it's warm out, put the shower running as hot as it can go and let the mucus break itself up. She should be fine otherwise.' The doctor smiled. Helga and Arnold thanked him and started to get their things to leave as the doctor wrote Jeana a prescriptoin for her medication. That awful twenty four hour wait was over, and Jeana was well enough to come home.  
  
*~^~*  
  
Sean looked down at his hands, then back up at the audience, with a lone tear flowing down his cheek. Jeana and Jayme started to cry, because they knew what Sean would say next.  
  
'Jeana wasn't the only one to go to the hospital that specific year.'  
  
*~^~*  
  
Helga and Gerald crowded around the TV, watching Arnold's game in Denver. Their team was on fire that day. Arnold alone had made a total of five touchdowns by half time, and they were now into the third quarter.  
  
Arnold ran down the field; the men from the other team chasing him. Helga started shouting, as if somehow Arnold could hear her.  
  
'C'mon football head! Run! Run! Run!' Gerald was equally excited.  
  
'C'mon buddy! Make another touchdown!' Arnold was almost to the field mark when the linebacker from the other team started to catch up to him.  
  
'No! No! Go away you fat slob!' Helga yelled at the other team, 'you'll never catch him! C'mon run, Arnold run!' The guy caught up with Arnold and tackled him from behind, as fell on the ground. Helga could swear at that same moment, she could hear a faint sharp cry of pain coming from him. Helga got up off the chair and ran over to the TV.  
  
'No, no! Is he okay?!' she started yelling. Gerald got up as well.  
  
'Oh no, he can't move! That's not good! Get off of him!' Gerald yelled at the other team's player even though he knew the man couldn't hear Gerald. But almost as if he could hear Gerald's command, the man got up, off of Arnold. Arnold lay there still, not moving. Helga became hysterical.  
  
'No! No! What happened!? What the hell happened!?' she broke down and began to bawl. Gerald hugged her, hoping himself that Arnold was okay. Hearing Helga's cries, Phoebe rushed into the living room with one of the twins.  
  
'What's wrong!? What happened?' she asked frantically.  
  
Gerald pointed to the TV, 'Arnold got hurt, but we don't know what happened yet. He's not moving.' Phoebe's eyes grew with every word Gerald said. She put Jeana in the play pen and rushed over to the TV to see what was wrong. The announcer spoke.  
  
'Well, it looks like the NFL's MVP has been hurt, pretty badly too.'  
  
'Yeah, who knew Sampson could put so much power into a single tackle! Wait, we're getting a report on what is happening,' Helga, Gerald and Phoebe gazed up at the TV, staring at it intently. The screen switched back to Arnold, with medics and his team mates all around him.  
  
'They think he may have either dislocated some joints in his back, or broken his back all together. That can't be good,' Helga's eyes flooded and she broke down again.  
  
'No! No! He loves football! This can't be happening!' Helga screamed at the TV, pounding the ground with her fists. Phoebe and Gerald looked at one another, not knowing what to do. Gerald looked over at the TV and saw them carrying Arnold away. His eyes filled with tears and he too broke down. Phoebe hugged her husband, but during that time they hugged they never noticed Helga putting the twins in their carseats, and heading for the airport. Helga had, however, left a tear stained note so they would know where they were.Denver.  
  
~^~  
  
Helga wheeled the stroller into the Denver hospital, with tear stained eyes. She went to the front desk, completely hysterical.  
  
'Where's Arnold Finnigan, the football player who got injured!? What room is he in!?' the receptionist looked up at Helga, shocked.  
  
'Ma'am, we will tell all the fans how Arnold is when.wait a minute,' she said as she looked at Helga intently, who had taken a moment from her tears to glare at the receptionist,' I've seen you on TV, with those twins, and Finnigan.' she stopped for a moment to put it all together, 'You're his wife!'  
  
'You got that right bucko,' Helga said, obviously annoyed, 'Now can I go see my husband now?' The receptionist clicked some things on her computer, and shook her head.  
  
'I'm sorry, but he is in surgery right now.' Helga looked at her shocked,' They've been working on his back now for about.I believe it says here.three hours. They'll be out soon. Take this pager and we'll page you when he gets to recovery.' Helga nodded and thanked the receptionist, and sat down on a chair and looked at her twins. What if their father had been paralyzed, and could never hug them again? What if he could never play football again? Tears formed in her eyes as she thought about all the worst scenarios going wrong. What if he died?  
  
~^~  
  
A while later, Helga was watching her twins sleep, as she started to nod off too, the pager buzzed, shocking her. When she finally realized what it was, she smiled slightly and wheeled the stroller over to the receptionist. Before she could make it to the desk, somebody stopped her.  
  
'Are you Helga Pataki?' the kid, looking in her late teens asked Helga. Helga just nodded sadly. When writing, she kept her maiden name, just as a penname.  
  
'Can I get your autograph? You're my favorite author.' Helga tried to smile.  
  
'Sure,' she said, pulling a pen out of her purse and wrote a message on the paper the girl gave her.  
  
'Which book did you like better?' Helga asked the girl. She didn't even have to think twice.  
  
' "Unrequited Love" because it reminds me of when I was little and I picked on a boy I really liked.' Helga smiled slightly. That book had won an award on the national level. Her other book, "Letters for Him," didn't do AS well, but it was still a major success.  
  
'I-I need to go, but thanks,' the girl said before leaving,' I love your twins. I watched the news special on TV. They're really cute.' Helga had to smile.  
  
'Thanks.' She said before walking the rest of the way up to the receptionist's desk. The receptionist smiled at Helga, which gave her some relief.  
  
'The doctors have him up in recovery right now. They say that his surgery went well, and that he should be waking up soon.' Helga smiled and yet, more tears touched her eyes.  
  
'He's just fine, he's just tired,' The receptionist said, 'We'll have someone bring you up to him.' Helga smiled as her tears flowed down her face. Arnold was okay.  
  
~^~  
  
Helga walked into the curtain area where Arnold was laying with an IV in his arm, and tubes coming out of his mouth. He looked stiff from the brace that covered his back; almost a body cast. She left the twins at the front of the curtained off area and walked over to his bedside. She took his hands that seemed so lifeless and stroked it with her own hand. She spoke to him softly.  
  
'Hey football head,' she sniffed back a few tears and continued, 'Well, you did your team well today. You made so many touchdowns for them, I was watching.' As if he could hear her, his eyes opened slowly, confusedly. The first thing he saw was a blurry image of Helga, smiling down at him.  
  
'H-H-He' he tried to talk, but the tubes in his throat wouldn't allow him to.  
  
'Shhhhh,' she said, 'don't talk. You're okay now. Just relax,' she touched his cheek with her hand and he closed his eyes at her touch. Suddenly his eyes shot back open.  
  
'J-Je-Ja,' he sputtered and somehow she understood him. She smiled and pointed toward the front of the curtain where their one-and-a-half-year- olds sat restlessly in their stroller.  
  
'They're right here Arnold. It's okay. We love you, you're okay,' she said and kissed his forehead. He smiled at her best he could with all those tubes, and from being on the anesthesia. Everything was so blurry, but somehow Helga seemed so clear to him, even when a nurse walked in, Helga was the only thing in focus. He couldn't see Jeana or Jayme because that would require moving, something he couldn't quite do at the moment. The nurse checked his vitals, and then walked over to the other side of Arnold's bed.  
  
'I think we're ready for your tubes to come out. Do you want me to take those out?' Arnold nodded weakly from the lack of neck movement. The nurse nodded back and grabbed one of the tubes,' okay, this may feel a bit strange and it may hurt a little, but it'll only take a second,' she started to pull one tube out, the tube that went to his stomach. It felt like somebody had shoved their hand down his throat, and was now pulling their arm out as slowly as possible. It scratched his throat and he gagged as she pulled it completely out. She smiled at him.  
  
'One down, one to go.'  
  
Great, Arnold thought as she worked on the next tube that went to his lungs. She got that one out too, and the doctor came into the curtain area. Helga looked over at the doctor. He stuck out his hand and shook it.  
  
'Hello, I'm Dr. Stevenson,' Helga nodded and smiled a little, 'I'm sorry we couldn't come tell you how your husband was doing before, but the hospital is completely swamped today. We had to tend to another emergency.' Helga nodded.  
  
'Is he going to be okay?' she whispered, 'What happened?' Dr. Stevenson took a long deep breath and continued.  
  
'Well, when the player tackled him, it moved some of his vertebrae out of place, severely. We've never seen anything as serious as his condition. The only thing we could think of was surgery. We fixed his spine, and relocated his vertebrae, but I don't think he'll ever play football again, unless he wants to risk having this happen again.' Helga's heart stopped, her blood ran cold and all the color drained from her face. Never play football again? What, was this man crazy!? Arnold was the best player in the NFL.  
  
'W-w-what did you just say!?' she demanded, tears flooding her eyes again. Dr. Stevenson looked down, as if he should be ashamed of something.  
  
'I'm sorry, but he'll never be able to play at a professional level again.' Helga looked over at Arnold, then down at the ground and nodded, accepting the awful fact that he could never do what he loved ever again, not ever.  
  
'We should probably get him to a room,' the doctor said. Helga nodded in concurrence, but very sorrowfully. Dr. Stevenson could tell that she didn't want him to find out about the bad news. Dr. Stevenson himself was a fan of Arnold. He was going to go to the game in Denver, but got called in to work an extra shift because of the chaos the hospital was right now. He looked over at Arnold. He was treating, and operated on his favorite player of all time, and now.the best player could never play again.  
  
'Do you want me to tell him, or do you want to tell him?' Helga looked up at the doctor. Tears poured down her cheeks. His wife, as a matter of fact, was a big fan of Helga. She loved her books. Helga hung her head.  
  
'I-I want to tell him,' she said, looking back over at Arnold who was sleeping again. Dr. Stevenson nodded as some nurses came in and started to whel Arnold out of the curtain area. Before they left, Helga thanked Dr. Stevenson once again, and took the stroller and followed her husband.  
  
~^~  
  
'Was it bad?' Arnold asked, much more awake now. Helga bounced Jayme on her knee and looked down at the ground.  
  
'I've never been more scared in my life, except for when Jeana went to the hospital.'  
  
Arnold nodded, then sighed. 'It's gonna be a long time till I can get back up to my level and play again.' Helga couldn't look at him. She started to cry. She walked over to the stroller and put Jayme next to her sister. Jeana was sleeping soundly, very surprising because of how loud Helga's cries were. Helga abandoned the stroller and walked into the bathroom in his room. Arnold's denseness kicked in again.  
  
'Helga, what's wrong?' Helga regained her composure and came back out. She shook her head.  
  
'You can never play again,' she said sadly.  
  
Those words shocked him and felt like a thousand bullets to the chest. Never play football again? Tears started to well up in his eyes, and Helga ran over to his side and took one of his hands in hers.  
  
'No, don't cry Arnold. It'll be okay. We'll think of something.'  
  
Arnold shook his head. 'But I-'  
  
'Look Arnold,' She interjected gently, 'the doctor said that if you do any more damage to your spine, you could severely break your back, or something like that. He said you can't ever play again.' He didn't believe her, this couldn't be true. Maybe she was just protecting him.but she knew how much he loved it.  
  
'Y-yes I can,' he said. She shook her head, but he continued, 'when my back heals, I'll go back to practice and work twice as hard. I can do it, I can still play football.'  
  
She shook her head again. 'I wish I could tell you to continue looking on the bright side, but there is no bright side here. You CAN'T play football anymore. This is one of the few things that is impossible.' Tears continued to fall down his cheeks as she continued to wipe them away with her thumb. Then, he had an idea, if the position was still open.  
  
'Well, I guess those things happen,' he said, not saying anymore which shocked her, 'I mean, maybe I can't play football anymore, but I'll stay with it.'  
  
Now she was confused, 'What do you mean?' she asked.  
  
He just smiled, 'You'll see,' was all he said.  
  
She half smiled at him until one of the twins started to cry. She had left everything at home and only taken the twins, their stroller, and her purse along. She had no food for them.  
  
'Arnold, you rest that football head of yours. I'm going to get Jeana and Jayme some grub. We rushed over right away when we saw it on TV, and they're probably starving. I won't be long,' she said and kissed him on the forehead, 'You sleep while we're gone.' He nodded and she smiled and left with the twins. He closed his eyes, thinking about his plan.  
  
~^*^~  
  
'My father was so persistent, and he never gave up on anything. My mother always supported everything he did.' Sean stopped and smiled through his tears. 'Boy was my mother in for a surprise.'  
  
~^*^~  
  
Helga walked in the door with a bag of groceries, and hung the keys up on the rack. She walked into the kitchen with the bag and heard Arnold calling from upstairs. Quickly she put the bag down and ran up to him. She ran into their room, to find Arnold beaming like a dumb schoolboy.  
  
'What is it Arnold, is something wrong?' She asked not sensing his happiness.  
  
He just smiled even more. 'I got the job,' he said vaguely. She had absolutely no clue of what he was talking about.  
  
'W-what do you mean, what job?' she asked a little afraid of what he was going to say.  
  
'I'm now the assistant quarterback coach of the Vikings,' he said, still laying on the bed. His back, after about six weeks was feeling better, but it was not yet fully healed. Helga just beamed.  
  
'W-what did you say?' she asked, feeling like someone had stuck a coat hanger in her mouth.  
  
'I'm a coach! I'm gonna stay with football! I just talked to the head coach on the phone.' She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.  
  
He winced in pain. 'Oww, oww, Helga, my back.' He said in pain.  
  
She pulled back, remembering his injury. 'Sorry, sorry, but coach!? That's great! I'm so proud of you!' He beamed at her and she ruffled his hair. She gave him a kiss on the lips and started to walk out the door.  
  
'I need to finish putting the groceries away and check the mail. Do you need anything?' She asked him.  
  
He shook his head and smiled, 'I just needed to tell you.' He said sweetly.  
  
She smiled and walked downstairs to put the rest of the groceries away, then she headed out to her mailbox to check the mail. Bills, bills, junk, postcard from Paris.from Rhonda, junk, letter from publisher, more bills.wait a second! Helga dropped all the other mail and ripped open the letter. She skimmed it and let out a cry of joy. She ran inside, leaving all the mail on the ground. Breathless, she ran into her room. She couldn't wait till Phoebe brought the twins home from the zoo. She just had to tell Phoebe too.  
  
'Arnold!' she screamed. He looked up, best he could, a little shocked at the urgency in her voice.  
  
'What? What's wrong?' He asked.  
  
She smiled and walked over to sit on the bed and held his hand, 'Nothing's wrong, but I just got this letter.' He looked a little confused. Typical football head. 'They're gonna publish my book of poems, Drowning in Sea Green Eyes.' He smiled at her.  
  
'Oh Helga, that's great! Look, two great things happened in one day!' she smiled at him, and bent down to kiss him again.  
  
'I love you Arnold.' She said sweetly.  
  
He smiled, 'I love you too Helga.'  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Well, there's more to come. That's not the end. Helga and Arnold have only begun their new life, and Sean hasn't even been born yet. More excitement if you r/r!:D  
  
C ya l8ter!  
  
Arnoldnhelga4eva 


	8. Different Apples Come From the Same Tree

Where We're From  
  
By Arnoldnhelga4eva  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold.  
  
Hey, long time no read/write, or.whatever. Anyway, here's chapter eight. They've grown up quite a bit in this chapter, so don't be surprised when all of a sudden Sean is in the picture. Anyway, here it is, chapter eight.  
  
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Chapter Eight: Different Apples Come From the Same Tree  
  
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'My father moved from being assistant quarterback coach to head coach after the first head coach retired. It was a great gain for the Vikings, and for a few seasons, they were unbeatable. That was a revolution for that team since before Arnold they didn't always do so well. My mother loved to watch my father's team on TV, and so did Jayme. Jeana hated football though, but then again she hated all sports.'  
  
Jeana smiled a little from her seat, and Sean continued, 'Then I was born, and as my mother said, we grew up too fast for her to follow. By the time I was nine, and my sisters were 16, my mother had twenty books published; twelve of them had national awards, but my mother had an exceptional talent in writing. My sisters got cars, and I got a crush, a crush that my mother helped me through. You see, she herself had a mad, intense crush on my father in their earlier years, since she was a small child. Mine started the first day I saw this woman, who is now my wife. If it hadn't been for my mother, I don't know where I would be now, without my wonderful family.' Sean looked to his family, and his wife gave him the best smile she could muster.  
  
~^*^~  
  
Helga watched Sean get off the school bus, as he turned back to it and yelled to a girl in the window.  
  
'That's right, I hate your guts! So stay the heck away from me!' the bus pulled away, as he watched it, blissfully staring at the window a girl was sitting in. Helga chuckled a little at the face her young nine year old son had on his face, when Jeana pulled up to the house, and burst inside, talking on her cell phone.  
  
'No Molly, I swear! Did you see what she was wearing though!?' Jeana yelled to her best friend, Molly. Jeana herself grew up to be quite beautiful. At sixteen, she had long platinum blonde hair that reached far down her back, and she had her father's deep sea green eyes. That is what attracted all the boys to her. She was the spitting image of Helga, with Arnold's eyes. Jeana was wearing a white peasant top, with lace trimming, and blue jeans with a big flare at the bottom, covering up her sneakers, She threw her backpack on the couch, closely followed by her Trigonometry book, and ran up to her room to continue her private conversation. Helga shook her head. She turned out like Rhonda. Finally, she heard Sean coming through the door, and looked up to see that peaceful look still plastered on his face. Helga smiled, her son had a crush.  
  
'Sean,' she said. He snapped out of his dream quickly and put a glare on his face. He was just like Helga was a s a child. He was hostile, a bully, and he picked on the girl he liked, only one difference. His parents loved him.  
  
It was strange though, because Sean looked like his father. It was weird seeing the attitude coming from someone Helga had seen her whole life as the most gentle person in the world. At the same time, she felt so proud that he inherited her sharp tongue and quick wit.  
  
'What mom?' He asked unrespectfully.  
  
Helga just smiled. 'Who was that girl?' Sean's face turned shocked, as words tried to leave his mouth, but nothing audible came out. When he finally managed to talk, he turned it to a temper.  
  
'I-I don't know what you're talking about. Just leave me alone!' Helga just smiled facetiously as Sean started stomping up to his room.  
  
'Okay, but if you ever want to talk to me about her, because.maybe, oh I don't know.maybe you like her?' Sean stopped halfway up the stairs. He turned around slowly, without a glare.  
  
'I don't like her-like her, okay mom? I don't want to even talk about her.' He said as calmly as possible.  
  
Helga smiled. 'Okay Sean, but I'm here if you need to talk,' Sean nodded and went up to his room. Helga knew the best way to get him to talk was to let him think it over for a while, then he'd come talk. That's how Helga, herself was. Arnold always waited and let her think before she talked. It was the best way.  
  
Helga chuckled to herself and turned around just as Jayme came in the door carrying a big bag full of all her soccer stuff.  
  
'Hey mom!' Jayme called.  
  
Helga smiled and looked toward her daughter, 'Hi honey, how was practice?'  
  
Jayme sat down her bag and went over to the refrigerator to find a snack. 'It was great! I think we'll do great at state!' Helga smiled at her. Jayme played soccer, and very well. She was the best one on her team and brought her team to state by scoring twelve of the twenty goals at their sections meet. Jayme played year-round, and indoors during the winter. Arnold, Helga, and Sean came to most of Jayme's games, but Jeana never came. She was always too busy with her friends. She was out so often that Arnold and Helga have started worrying about her. All of Jayme's friends were on the soccer team, and they were always too busy playing to go out, but when they did go out, they always went together. Jayme's soccer team was like a second family to her. They bonded so well.  
  
'I'm going back out mom,' Jayme said as she headed upstairs to change, 'Tara and I are going to a movie, then we're going to go back to her house. I'll be home late.' Helga nodded. Tara was Jayme's best friend, and a good friend.  
  
Tara was also an exceptional soccer player, and student. Jayme always kept to her word, so Helga never worried about Jayme like she did with Jeana, but teenagers are so hard to handle. Nothing bad has happened yet, anything too drastic.  
  
Jeana's grades were not as high as Jayme's, and she had to be pushed to do well in school. Her grades slipped sometimes, so Helga and Arnold would get on her case to bring them up. She needed to do well if she wanted to get into a good college.  
  
Jayme came back downstairs, dressed up nicer than before. Jayme was the spitting image of her father, and she had his personality. Yes, Jeana and Jayme were fraternal twins, and boys seemed to find Jeana prettier than Jayme, but in Helga's eyes, both girls were equally beautiful.  
  
'Have fun.' Helga said before Jayme left. Jayme walked back over and gave her mother a peck on the cheek and a brief hug.  
  
'Bye mom, love ya,' she said grabbing the keys and heading out. Helga smiled after her, but changed her gaze over to the couch. There lay Jeana's backpack, looking very light and empty. Helga walked over to the banister, annoyed with her daughter.  
  
'Jeana!' She yelled up the stairs. There was no answer, so she tried again, 'Jeana!' Still no answer. Jeana was probably mad because Arnold had grounded her for smoking with some friends at a gas station. Arnold had been coming home from a long day with his team, and rolled into a gas station to fill up his tank, when he saw Jeana, smoking with some "friends." Right away he took her home, and he and Helga decided she should be grounded. Helga reached Jeana's room. She started to open the door.  
  
'Jeana Michelle, you come when I call--' Helga stopped halfway through her sentence when she opened the door, and found the window open, with the screen placed neatly on the floor. Helga started to panic until she heard a car start up, and take off outside. She looked out the window to see Jeana taking off down the street. Helga fumed, and pulled out her phone. She knew giving the girls their own separate cars was a big mistake.  
  
'Hello? Is Stinky Peterson there?' she asked. Stinky himself had moved to Minnesota for better planting soil. When that didn't work out, he started up a business, a business that now worked for the state.  
  
'Hello?' A low southern accent of a man was heard. Helga smiled.  
  
'Hey Stinko, what's up?'  
  
'Why gee Helga, how ya doin' these here days?'  
  
'Sorry, but I can't really talk. I'm fine, Arnold's fine, Jayme and Sean are fine, but Jeana just took off in her car again. Do you think you could drive around until she parks it, then could you tow her car again? Maybe it will teach her a lesson this time.' Helga said quickly.  
  
Stinky laughed. He didn't have enough fingers to count every time she had asked him to do this.  
  
'Why Helga, I'd be glad to help you do that. Is her license palate still 036 HGF?' Helga smiled.  
  
'Unless she got a new one without me knowing, yes. Thank's again Stinky, we owe you big time.'  
  
'Shucks Helga, it's no problem. Why if anybody had told me that you an' Arnold would get married, and have kids when we were younger, I think I would have don think they was talkin' crazy.' Stinky chuckled.  
  
Helga blushed a little. 'Yeah, well it's weird how some things work out. Anyway, Jeana will pay the bill when her car is towed, and maybe that will teach her a lesson. Thanks Stinko,' Helga said and hung up the phone. Now all she could do was wait until Jeana got home. If she tried calling he on her phone, she wouldn't answer. Jeana had a special ring for home, and caller ID as well. That's what you get when your parents are the football coach of a professional team, and an award winning author.  
  
Helga went over to Sean's room and knocked on the door.  
  
'Sean?' she called through the door. She heard a loud crash inside, making her smile.  
  
Sean called back once he rearranged himself. 'What!?'  
  
'Are you doing your homework?' Helga asked with a slight snicker.  
  
'Yeah,' he said, and then there was another loud crash.  
  
Helga just smiled. 'Then what is all that loud noise?'  
  
'Nothing,' he replied angelically.  
  
'Okay.' Helga said, and walked downstairs to start dinner. Just as she was taking steaks out of the freezer, two strong, warm arms encircled her waist and whispered in her ear lovingly.  
  
'Hey honey,' Arnold said from behind. Helga laughed and turned around. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.  
  
'Did you have a good practice today?' she asked.  
  
Arnold smiled and drew her nearer, looking at her with half lidded eyes. 'Yeah, everyday. But my favorite part is coming home to be with you.' Helga smiled and brought his head to hers, and kissed him, longer, and more passionately. Sean walked down the stairs, and stopped when he saw his parents. His face turned to a look of disgust as he watched from the banister. He wrinkled his face and walked back up to his room.  
  
'Ewwww! I'm never going to do that!' He said to himself as he entered his room. He had hockey posters up all over. In the past his parents had tried to get him interested in all kinds of sports ranging from football, to soccer, to basketball, to baseball, but he only liked hockey.nothing else.  
  
~^*^~  
  
'That was the only, thank god, the only time I ever saw my parents kiss like that. I don't think they ever knew I was there, but it was there I realized, thinking back on it now, how much they really loved each other. I have a poem that I'm going to read, in honor of my parents. The only reason I'm reading this is because it is what will go on their grave,' Sean said. He never let his pride down.  
  
'This poem is by Emily Dickinson:  
  
Two lengths has everyday,  
  
It's absolute extent--  
  
And area superior  
  
By hope or heaven lent  
  
Eternity will be  
  
Velocity, or pause.  
  
At fundamental signals  
  
From fundamental laws.  
  
To die, is not to go--  
  
On doom's consummate chart.  
  
No territory new is staked,  
  
Remain thou as thou art.'  
  
The crowd kept crying, though the poem made them smile. It reminded them that even though Helga and Arnold were gone, they were not really, truly gone. They lived through everything they did.  
  
Sean returned to his seat, as Jayme thought about what had happened that night. She looked over at Jeana, and knew that she too was recollecting what had happened. Jayme will never forget it as long as she lived, and it wasn't good.  
  
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No, Jeana sneaking out of the house isn't the bad thing. She gets in even more trouble in the next chapter. Anyway, feedback is what fuels me to continue, so please r/r. I'll update asap. So enjoy, and keep the reviews coming and I'll  
  
C ya l8ter!  
  
Arnoldnhelga4eva  
  
PS: I don't own emily dickinson, so there.:D 


	9. Forgiveness

Where We're From  
  
By Arnoldnhelga4eva  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold or Juliard.  
  
Okay, I didn't get as many reviews as I thought I would on the last chapter, but the story is over half way finished. Anyway, here's chapter 9. Thanks to everyone who reviewed.:D  
  
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Chapter 9: Forgiveness  
  
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At around one in the morning, Helga and Arnold were rudely awoken by a loud crash downstairs, followed by uncontrollable laughing. Helga sat up in bed.  
  
'Arnold, did you hear that?' Arnold bolted upright at the second crash.  
  
'Yeah, you stay here. I'll go check.' He jumped out of bed, and quickly put on a robe, blushing. He'd forgotten.  
  
Quickly he ran downstairs, while Helga ran over to a drawer to put on some clothes, and heard Arnold yell downstairs.  
  
'Jeana!?' Helga could hear laughter again. Helga ran downstairs to find Arnold standing in the kitchen, Jayme next to him, still in her clothes from last night, and Jeana sprawled out on the couch, laughing hysterically.  
  
'What the hell!' Helga yelled. Arnold and Jayme took a step back. They knew that when Helga got mad, she wasn't just mad. She looked like she was about to kill something, but it was clear from Jeana's jovial state that she was too high to realize that.  
  
'What the hell did you drink Jeana!?' Helga and Arnold could smell it all the way from where they were standing all right. It smelled like a thick heavy odor of beer, mixed with a wrenching stench of marijuana.  
  
Jeana just laughed. 'Well let me see,' Jeana said slurring her words heavily, 'I can't remember. I think it was water.' She said rather dumbly. Helga had about enough of this, and she could tell Arnold was pretty pissed too.  
  
'Well I'm going to tell you one thing! You're grounded, again, for longer! I'm taking your cell phone away, I'm taking your car away--'  
  
'Her car got towed--'Jayme interjected.  
  
'I know sweetie, I called Stinky up to tow it.' Jayme nodded. She wasn't surprised, it had happened before.  
  
Helga wasn't finished with her list though. 'We're going to board up your windows, I'm driving you to and from school every day, I'm taking your freedom away, do you understand!? You lost all your freedom Jeana. This is the last time I'm going to put up with this shit before we send you away!' Helga yelled, but Jeana didn't answer. Helga was so caught up in her rage that she didn't even realize Jeana was now fast asleep on the sofa, snoring like a hog. Arnold turned to Jayme.  
  
'What happened?' he asked her, with a much less malicious tone than Helga.  
  
Jayme turned to her parents. 'I was out driving with Tara when my cell phone rang. I answered it and it was one of Jayme's friends, Molly. She said that Jayme had clearly had enough to do tonight, and luckily her car got towed, otherwise Jeana would have snuck out of there and driven home on her own. Molly directed me to where the party was--'  
  
'So that's why she snuck out through her window,' Helga interrupted shaking her head. 'It's a good thing Molly called you. She's a good friend.'  
  
Jayme nodded and continued: 'So I dropped Tara off at home, and went to Sara's house. Sara was the one throwing the party. I was surprised to see Jordan there, since he's only a sophomore,' Jeana said. Jordan was Phoebe and Gerald's son. He was a good kid, but sometimes did some pretty dumb things.  
  
'Was he drunk too?' Helga asked.  
  
Jayme shrugged her shoulders. 'Not really. He was a little tipsy, but maybe he was just hiding it well. Molly was pretty much the only one sober there. She was planning on driving Jeana home, but Jeana's car got towed. She had to stay sober.'  
  
Helga shook her head as she turned toward Arnold. 'Where did we go wrong?' She asked him. She walked over to the table and slammed her fist on the table and started to cry. Arnold walked over to her and massaged her shoulders, and whispered a few calming words into her ears, until he turned to Jayme.  
  
'Why don't you go to bed honey. I bet you've had a long night. That's the second time you've saved your sister.' Arnold said.  
  
Jayme nodded and headed upstairs. Helga turned around and looked at her husband teary eyed.  
  
'What are we going to do about her?' Helga sobbed into Arnold's robe. He stroked her hair, combing her long hair with his fingers. He sighed, and planted a kiss on her head.  
  
'We'll just monitor everything she does, get her involved in activities, and for now, no parties. If we can start trusting her again, then she can go. But for now, we'll keep a close watch on her wherever she goes, and watch whatever she does.' Helga nodded and kissed his cheek. He patted her back.  
  
'Let's go to bed.' He said, leading her upstairs, 'Jeana can sleep down here tonight. It's better than passing out at a stranger's house.' Helga nodded and followed him upstairs. What they didn't know was that Jayme had been listening the entire time.  
  
Jayme cried herself to sleep that night. She didn't know what to do. Here she continually saved her sister's ass, and she never got anything in return. Jeana treated Jayme like a stranger in school, and people almost never would have suspected that they were sisters if their parents weren't celebrities.  
  
So why wasn't Jayme popular?  
  
It wasn't that she wasn't popular, she just wasn't in the 'in' crowd. Jayme was well liked, but often taken advantage of, because she always 'did the right thing,' just like her father.  
  
'Why do I have to be like him?' she asked herself, 'why do I have to be so nice and helpful, and perfect?'  
  
'Because it's the right thing to do.' Her conscience told her, 'It's what a good Samaritan would do, and what made her mother fall in love with her father.  
  
She had convinced herself for tonight to be able to fall asleep, but why did she do this over and over again if her sister never thanked her, but with taunts and ignorance?  
  
Because it's the right thing to do, and she loved her sister, even if her sister didn't show signs of the same sisterly love.  
  
Jayme fell asleep with that thought in her head.  
  
~^*^~  
  
Jayme looked over at her sister. She could tell Jeana was thinking the same thing. It was some kind of twin intuition. Jeana looked back at Jayme and smiled. She mouthed the words Jayme had been dying to hear forever.  
  
Two small words.  
  
Thank you.  
  
Jayme smiled. Finally, after saving her sister from croup, and saving her when she was high and drunk, and so many other little things, Jeana had finally said thank you.  
  
Jayme looked up, as Molly and Tara both approached the podium.  
  
'Hello.' Tara said, 'I'm Tara, and this is Molly. We're friends of Jeana and Jayme, and also really close to their wonderful parents.' Tara stepped back and let Molly talk.  
  
'After certain little incidents, Arnold and Helga worked hard to make them better, like that night when.well some of you know the story.' she said looking at Jeana and Jayme, knowing they got her hint about the night Jeana came home drunk.  
  
'Even though they weren't my parents, they taught me a lot, and the right thing to do, especially Arnold.' Molly looked now up at Jeana, who was now smiling at her best friend. Molly smiled back and continued.  
  
'That year, after that incident, Jeana and I made new friends, and Arnold and Helga encouraged us to enroll in activities. We decided to join theater.  
  
'It was hard at first, not being able to go to parties and everything, but I learned a lot, thanks to Arnold and Helga. My own parents were never around, so Arnold and Helga were like my parents in a way. Often times, I would spend the night on a couch in Jeana's room because my father drank, and kicked me out of the house in a drunken rage. Arnold and Helga would always let me in. Their house was really my first home.  
  
'I'll still pass by the house sometimes just to say hi. I can't do that anymore. I can only pass by the house, pass by my memories, and continue on my way. Now I'll pass by their graves to visit them, to tell them what is going on right now, in the world, in my life and anything else. They're like my parents--' Molly choked up, and couldn't continue. She started crying, and Tara patted her on the back. Molly got down, and went to sit by her family again. Tara took over, with tears in her eyes.  
  
'I was also very close to Arnold and Helga. They always took extra steps to make sure I was okay. They congratulated me when I did well, and comforted me when I didn't. They supported our team at state, when we won state. Jayme, of course, being the exceptionally talented player she is got accepted to a college on a soccer scholarship, almost like her father got accepted on a football scholarship. Arnold and Helga were so proud of Jayme. I remember, I was there.  
  
~^*^~  
  
Jayme was picking up all her equipment, after state her senior year. Once again, her team won state. She and Tara were talking about their future.you know, college, marriage, whatnots.  
  
'I don't know Tara,' Jayme said, 'I want to go to a soccer college, but I don't want to be too far from home.' As if ironically on cue, a scout from a big soccer college approached Jayme.  
  
'Hey,' the man said,' you're a very talented player. Let me introduce myself. My name is Xavier Schwartz, and I'm a scout from L'Frojant University.' Jayme's eyes grew wide, and she beamed so big her mouth hurt.  
  
The guy continued: 'We want to offer you a full ride scholarship to our school.'  
  
'What did you say?' she asked beaming. Tara smiled from beside her, as Arnold, Helga, Jeana and Sean came up behind them.  
  
'Whose this Schmo?' Helga whispered to Jayme.  
  
Jayme just turned around with a twinkle in her eye. 'They want me to go to their college for free! Mom, Dad! This is what I've dreamed of!' Helga and Arnold broke into huge smiles and Arnold swept Jayme up in his arms, twirling her around. He set her down, and it was Helga's turn to hug Jayme. Their tears mixed as Helga hugged her daughter, and Arnold took the man aside to ask all the details. Tara could see Jeana and Sean out of the corner of her eye and they were smiling. Jeana had changed, in a good way. She lost the bad friends, the drugs, the drinking, and she and Molly turned to new friends. She was no longer the bitch she had built herself up to be. Jeana had been crowned homecoming queen and offered a scholarship to Juliard for her exceptional acting skills.  
  
Tara still remembered the few times Jeana had been in the plays. The first time, most people in fifth grade thought it was cool to be in the play, but as they approached high school, it became less and less cool to be in any play.  
  
Her junior year, Jeana tried out for the musical, one-act plays, and spring play, landing lead roles in each one. There was a scout at the one-acts competition, and said he would return the next year to offer her a scholarship to their arts school. He was from Juliard, and returned this year only a week earlier, giving her a scholarship. It was a great honor.  
  
Jeana and Jayme were brilliant, and extremely talented. With both of their parents genes, they had turned out to be exceptionally fine young ladies. Tara smiled, happy for her friend. Nobody deserved this scholarship more than Jayme. She worked so hard, and was so good. Sure, Tara was always a little jealous of Jayme's talents, but she always supported her friend.  
  
Jayme turned toward Tara and smiled.  
  
'I guess you'll just have to come with me,' Jayme said with that same grin on her face. Tara smiled back. Jayme was such a good friend. She could have never asked for someone so nice, and caring to be friends with. Tara broke out into a huge smile.  
  
'I guess so.' She said and they did their secret handshake that they had made up in kindergarten. Tara went to her own parents as the man came back with Arnold to talk to Jayme about her scholarship.  
  
As Tara walked with her parents, she saw Sean out of the corner of her eye. It was so funny. He was practicing his slap shots with an imaginary hockey stick, going through the motions to perfect his technique.  
  
He had entered middle school this year and only as a sixth grader, was put onto the eighth grade hockey team. He was a really good hockey player. The way his hockey stick connected with the puck, and he shot it into the goal. It was almost like magic; it all happened in one fluid motion. There was something about this family. They were perfect, with very few problems now What was even more ironic was that their parents could maintain their celebrity stature, and still seem to lead a pretty normal life. Their life was like the American dream, no.it was the American dream. They lived in a country that allows them to grow freely, and work hard for what they deserve. They were the family everyone wanted to be, they were a real family.  
  
~^*^~  
  
'Jeana, Jayme, and Sean kept that bond with their parents, up until the day they died. I myself had a very good upbringing, with a wonderful family, but their family was something else. It was strong, and built on the still growing love Arnold and Helga had for each other; for their children, even their grandchildren.  
  
'We all headed off to college, leaving Sean at home, all by himself. In a way, he has always been like a brother to me like Jayme has been a sister to me, because I have been an only child my entire life. Anyway, we went through college, and off on our own careers. Jayme became a professional soccer player, and I became a doctor. Molly is a psychologist, and Jordan is a pilot. Jeana, well let's just say Jeana made it big.  
  
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okay, just for the record, I have no clue if the college L'Frojant is real or not. I don't even know if that is some French word that I don't know of either. Oh well. R/R and I'll.  
  
C ya l8ter!  
  
Arnoldnhelga4eva 


	10. The Real World

Where We're From  
  
By Arnoldnhelga4eva  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own hey Arnold  
  
Hey, chapter 10. Enjoy. Oh, and btw, I have nothing against reporters. Some just seem to be nosy though, so I'm including them in my story.  
  
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Chapter 10: The Real World  
  
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'Jeana, Jeana can we have a word with you?'  
  
'Helga, how do you feel about your daughter's success?'  
  
'Arnold, How does it feel that both of your daughters are famous like you and your wife?' Nosy reporters gathered around the family. Jeana just pushed through the crowd.  
  
'No comment, I'm sorry but I'm late.' She said running now. Jeana wanted to show her parents the studio, the one where they filmed her show, 'U-Turns,' but they'd never get there in time if these reporters didn't get our of the way, now.  
  
'Now you know how football head and I felt when you were born!' Helga yelled to Jeana over the loud noise.  
  
'Mom!' Jeana yelled back. How embarrassing! Before Helga could come back with a witty remark, they reached the front doors of the studio, leaving the media outside. Jeana started running.  
  
'C'mon, we're all ready late!' Jeana yelled to her parents who were struggling to keep up, well, almost.  
  
'Jeana, we're not as young as we used to be,' Arnold panted, trying to keep up, 'Your mother and I are getting older.' He yelled.  
  
Just as he said that, Helga ran past him with a smug little smile on her face. 'Maybe you are football head, but I'm keeping up just fine!' That gave him motivation to run faster.  
  
When they finally reached the door outside the studio room, Jeana burst in frantically yelling, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know I'm late!'  
  
The director turned around with a smile on his placid face. 'Yeah, it's the first time since we've started filming two years ago. We've gotta get makeup on you, and you need to be fixed up. We're filming the romance scene today,' the director said. Jeana nodded and ran over to where the makeup artists and costumes were. The director walked over to Helga, and a very exhausted Arnold. It was amazing how exhausted Arnold was, considering he used to play football.  
  
'Hello, I'm Anton, the director,' Anton said shaking their hands. 'You must be Arnold and Helga, well.of course you are. Who wouldn't know who you are, you're legends in your own time.' They blushed at his comment.  
  
'Thank you,' Arnold said, 'You're a celebrity yourself. You're a wonderful director for this show.'  
  
Anton smiled. 'Thank you, I appreciate it. Now, during filming, would you like to sit above or here by me? You may be able to see better from above. You'd see the entire set,' he said.  
  
Helga nodded. 'Sure, wherever is fine, as long as they're not nosebleed seats.  
  
Anton chuckled felicitously. 'Of course not. Here, I'll "direct" you to them now,' he laughed at his own joke. Arnold and Helga looked at each other with heightened eyebrows, then followed him.  
  
~^~  
  
'What are you going to do!?' The man yelled, 'What the hell are you going to do without me!?!? I do everything for you! I--'  
  
'Oh shut-up!' she interjected, crying her eyes out, 'Why do you always pretend to be the strong one? You don't understand. I lived without you before!'  
  
'But I-I.' the man stuttered, trying to hide his real feelings, his real thoughts. His pride shone through, and he couldn't lie. 'I don't know what I'd do without you.' He said, defeated.  
  
The woman looked shocked, and didn't know what to say. Never in a million years would she have guessed he would come so forward. She smiled, walking over to him and placing a hand on his cheek.  
  
'Then I won't leave,' she said kicking her suitcase over with her foot, and wrapping her arms around his neck, as he wrapped his own around her waist.  
  
'So you want to give up paradise.for me?'  
  
'So now you want me to go?' she asked slightly bewildered.  
  
'No!' he said quickly, 'I mean, maybe I could come with you, maybe.' he stroked her back with his hand, and she just smiled at his loss for words. It made him look so.so.  
  
'I've all ready found paradise,' were the last words before the gap between them closed. Arnold and Helga watched intensely from spectacular seats. They may have been acting, but Helga and Arnold could sense the chemistry between Jeana and her co-star, Daniel. They felt it themselves each time they kissed.  
  
Anton held up his hand. 'Aaaaannnndddd, CUT!' he said, bringing his hand down swiftly. 'Good work people!' He yelled as the cameramen brought the cameras away for the day, and everyone else scurried about doing their job. Relentlessly, Jeana and Daniel pulled apart, and smirked at each other. Arnold and Helga smiled from above at each other. Jeana was in love.  
  
~^*^~  
  
'Jeana was a famous actress, but Jayme and Sean were doing pretty well too at the time.Jayme had a big event happen; then it was Jeana's turn again for the spotlight. Sean was the last one for big events when he turned sixteen.'  
  
~^*^~  
  
The crowd was growing wild, the ice was reverberating with the excitement in the arena. Helga and Arnold stood up and cheered as Sean slapped another puck in the goal. The crowd grew even more, cheering and shouting as the buzzer went off, signaling the end of the game. The team came in and did a victory cheer as the crowd continued their cheering. Then they announced conference champions.  
  
This is the first time in Minnesota history that the Hornets have shut out every conference game. There will be four all conference, and four honorable mention.' The voice announced. 'Let's start with honorable mention. Jason Smith.' the announcer kept naming off names, then he got to all conference awards.  
  
'All conference awards will go to Sean Finnigan,' Arnold and Helga stood back up and cheered even louder for Sean. He was only a junior, but it was amazing that he got all conference, considering his age. More people were named off, as the team took their plaque and skated over to the locker room.  
  
Arnold and Helga met Sean outside of the rink after he got changed out of his uniform and everything.  
  
'Congratulations son,' Arnold said, giving Sean a friendly slap on the back. Before Helga could congratulate him, a girl came running over to Sean, giving him a huge hug.  
  
'Sean! You were amazing!' the girl yelled. Sean grinned and hugged her back. Arnold smiled, but Helga examined the girl a little more closely. Was it? Yes, it was her.  
  
It was the girl he had picked on when he was younger. It seemed like all the girls were constantly all over him. Helga wasn't surprised though. He had grown up to be a wonderful young man, and very good looking. He worked out every day after school, and gained a good muscular build, like Arnold. Helga smiled. Sean looked at his mother and Helga winked at him. He smiled back and nodded. He knew what she meant. Arnold looked at Helga confused, but she just shook her head simpering.  
  
'I'll explain later, football head.'  
  
~^~  
  
Before the game, the game for the world championship, Jayme was concentrating on her game, sitting in a corner of the room. Helga came in, searching for Jayme. Helga smiled when she saw her daughter meditating her game. She was so serious about what she loved.  
  
'Hey honey.' Helga said, coming up behind Jayme. She looked up, and smiled.  
  
'Hi mom, where's dad?' Jayme asked.  
  
Helga smiled. Jayme had gotten her father's denseness. 'Well, he can't come into the girl's locker room, but he probably wants to give you some of his football headed advice,' Helga said with a smile playing on her lips.  
  
Jayme laughed at her mother's comment. She loved it when her mother called her dad football head. It was her strange way of showing affection. Jayme just nodded in agreement. 'Yeah, I guess I didn't think about that. I'll go talk to him in a minute. What did you want to tell me?' She asked.  
  
Helga smiled. Jayme was so polite, just like her father. She got her father's roots. 'I just wanted to say that you'll do fine. You're one of the best soccer players in the world, and if you mess up, just put it behind you and forget about it, or you'll be hearing it from me later,' Helga finished drolly.  
  
Jayme just laughed, 'Is Sean and Jeana out there?' Helga nodded and Jayme continued with a blush on her face, 'How about Chris?' Helga nodded again.  
  
Jayme smiled. 'Oh good! That just gives me more motivation! Are they with dad?'  
  
Helga nodded again. 'They're all outside the door. I'm sure you can leave for a minute.'  
  
Jayme looked around, and then headed for the door when the coast was clear. 'Okay, let's go.' She said.  
  
They walked out of the locker room, as her boyfriend of four years' strong arms greeted Jayme.  
  
'Hey,' Chris said, hugging her tightly, 'You'll do great today.'  
  
Jayme smiled and pulled back to give him a quick kiss. 'Thanks. You do a good job of watching.'  
  
He smiled and pulled her back into his arms, giving Helga and Arnold a quick wink. They smiled, but Sean and Jeana were still confused. They would soon find out what Chris was up to.  
  
~^~  
  
The ball was being passed down the field strategically, zig zagging in- between players on the opposing team. With only a few seconds left in the game, Jayme went for it. She kicked the ball with all her might, and it whooshed right past the goalie, and into the goal. The buzzer sounded and the crowd grew wild. Jayme's team came together, completely ecstatic by their win. They were world champions!  
  
As their celebration died down a little and Jayme received the trophy for her team, Chris came onto the field. Jayme was confused. He walked in front of her, and knelt down on one knee. Jayme's heart stopped, and all her senses grew numb. He couldn't be, was he.  
  
He took her trembling hand in his own, and with a smile he asked her, 'Will you marry me, Jayme?' His voice was magnified by the microphone attached to his shirt. Tears sprang to Jayme's eyes as she nodded furiously, jumping into his arms.  
  
'Yes, yes, yes!' she cried, as the microphone picked up her own voice. The crowd cheered, and Arnold and Helga wiped tears from their eyes. Sean and Jayme whistled for their sister, and her new fiancée. Arnold and Helga were sad, and happy at the same time. One of their baby girls was now the happiest girl on earth, but they would have to give her away. Arnold didn't know if he could do it.  
  
Jayme was so happy though, her deep blue eyes sparkling and shining brightly. She was so happy, and that gave Arnold his closure. All he wanted was to see her happy, and this man, the one he would give his daughter to made her happy. She was no longer his, but he was happy--and he had his closure.  
  
~^~  
  
Arnold smiled as he let her go, placing a light kiss on the top of her hand, then lifting up her veil and placing another fetherlight kiss on her forehead. She smiled at him, and gave her one last hug before he handed her over to Chris. Arnold walked to the pew, where Helga, Jeana and Sean were watching the wedding, and their sister get married. Arnold hugged Helga close to his body, and she sighed, as a tear slipped down her face. It had seemed like only yesterday when she and Arnold got married but now--now it was Jayme's turn, and Helga had never seen her daughter happier in her life.  
  
They made their vows, had their kiss, and they were gone, off on their honeymoon after the reception. When everyone was cleaning up, Arnold gazed at the door where his daughter had exited, with her new husband. Helga saw him staring like that and came over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.  
  
'They grow up so fast, don't they?' Arnold nodded and snaked his arm around her, pulling her near him, never wanting to let her go.  
  
'It was so hard letting her go, Helga.' He said, his voice a little stifled. Helga nodded idly, knowing he was right. It was hard watching her walk out of there, with her new life, her new family, not needing them anymore. She had grown into such a wonderful young lady.  
  
Seeing her parents like this earned them a strange stare from Jeana, but she finally walked over to them from where she was putting wedding presents onto a cart to be hauled back to Jayme and Chris' new home. They were staring at nothing, only the door.  
  
'Hey,' Jeana said, throwing her parents out of their abstraction. A startled Helga and Arnold turned around to look at her.  
  
Helga smiled. 'We were just.thinking,' Helga said. Jeana cocked an eyebrow at her mother skeptically, 'about your sister. We can't wait until you get married.'  
  
Jeana's skeptic stare turned into a smile as she hugged her mother, then her father.  
  
'Well, you won't have to wait long for that,' she said holding out her left hand to show a diamond the size of her fist on her ring finger. Arnold and Helga's jaws dropped a foot.  
  
'H-How, w-what?' Arnold stuttered as Helga continued to gape at the stone.  
  
Jeana only smiled. 'Daniel proposed to me when everybody else was dancing. He took me out to the balcony and proposed. I didn't want to say anything while Jayme was here because I didn't want to spoil her wedding. I've already gotten her stuck in too many things in the past.' Arnold and Helga beamed and hugged Jeana tightly.  
  
'Oh Jeana, I'm so happy for you.' Helga cried.  
  
Sean, who abandoned his cleaning duties to come see what the hell all the commotion was. 'Uhhhhh, what's going on?' he asked in his smooth, low voice that made girls faint. His girlfriend, Sara always seemed to melt whenever he talked. Sara was the girl he picked on when he was little, much like Arnold was to Helga. Ironic enough, Sean took after Helga in spirit.  
  
'Jeana's getting married,' Arnold said to Sean who in turn started beaming.  
  
'Oh my god, Jeana! That's great!' he hugged his sister, but pulled back quickly when he realized what he was doing. He was a man, and men don't hug their sisters like that.  
  
Daniel walked over with a bright smile on his face.  
  
'Honey, have you told them yet?' he asked wrapping his arm around Jeana. She nodded and he kissed her briefly.  
  
'You two go home,' Arnold smiled, 'We've got it under control here. Once we get this wedding cleaned up, we'll start planning for the next one.' Daniel smiled and Jeana gave her father a kiss on the cheek, and her mother a hug. She ruffled her brother's hair before she left. Helga sighed as they watched Jeana and Daniel leave.  
  
'There goes another one.' Helga said as she gazed dreamily where both her daughters exited. Sean looked at his parents funny.  
  
'That's what you two were staring at?' he asked.  
  
Arnold looked over at him and smiled, 'You're next,' was all he said before they went back to cleaning up.  
  
~^*^~  
  
'Jeana's wedding came and went as fast as Jayme's did. She and Daniel married in Hawaii, much to the likes of Arnold and Helga. After the wedding Sean got a car, and the family was once again back to normal. The normal family that everyone loved.' Tara stepped off the podium as one of Arnold's best football players, and co-coach stepped up to give his eulogy.  
  
'Arnold was the best coach I ever had, and then we coached together, and he retired. Our team was never the same after he left, and many fans started complaining, and wanting Arnold to coach again. I'll never forget the banquet we had to celebrate his retirement from coaching.'  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Well anyway, that's chapter 10. Only 4 more to go, wohoooo! Tell me what you think so R/R and  
  
C ya l8ter!  
  
Arnoldnhelga4eva 


	11. Retirement

Where We're From  
  
By Arnoldnhelga4eva  
  
Disclaimer: Okay, I think you know by now that I don't own Hey Arnold. Oh, and I don't own the Super Bowl either.  
  
Hey, I'm in a little bit of a hyper mood now, so I'll make this quick. Here's chapter 11, enjoy.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Chapter 11: Retirement  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
'I don't know if I could ever replace Arnold as a teammate, a coach, or a friend. ' Anderson said as he gave the speech at Arnold's coaching retirement party. After almost thirty long years of coaching, Arnold was retiring. He was getting into his fifties, and decided to spend the remainder of his time more at home, than to constantly be at football practices, and football games. He would be an announcer for home games and the Super Bowl instead, so his team members decided to throw their MVP and best coach ever a retirement party.  
  
'I remember the times that our team would start slacking off, so Arnold brought Helga to practice.' That comment produced a few snickers from the audience, and made Helga blush the color of the lipstick she was wearing.  
  
'She whipped us into shape pretty quickly. She'd drop little Jayme and Jeana off at the nursery, and in later years little Sean, and come coach us. She wasn't a pro at football, but she knew how to get us running.  
  
~Flashback~  
  
'What do you think you're doing!?' THAT was PATHETIC!' Helga yelled at one of the men laying on the ground, his mouth full of mud. Helga stuck the football she was carrying under her arm and continued walking in between the neat rows of the Viking football players as Arnold watched contentedly. Serves them right for thinking it would be funny to all skip practice one day and party instead.  
  
'Now I don't wanna see any of the rest of you slobs pulling one of those you hear me' Helga yelled spitefully. 'Think like winners, you bunch of losers. Now I want fifty push ups, and we're gonna run the play again and again until we get it perfect!' Arnold continued to smile off to the side. It reminded him of his younger days when she would yell at their neighborhood football team to do better. The men may not all ways like it when he brings her in to straighten them out, but at least he can always give them a motivational threat. If any of them begin to goof off, he just jokes with them that he'll bring in Helga. It's not that the men didn't like Helga, they liked her as a person, not as a coach. She was too hard on them, even at the professional league. But sometimes they needed that extra push to get them moving. Even professionals slaked off sometimes.  
  
~~  
  
Helga smiled sheepishly as her family laughed.  
  
'You used to do that mom?' Jeana laughed.  
  
'Yeah, well it always seemed to work with football head's team, even when we were little.' Arnold looked at her and smiled. Their kids laughed at the nick name she called him. Whenever she was joking around, she would call him football head, head boy, or any other of the childish nicknames she so lovingly given him in earlier years. She never allowed any of their kids to call him those names, though. They were strictly her nicknames for him.  
  
'I think we're all gonna miss having Helga and Ol' Betsy coming into practice from now on, but we'll miss Helga too.' Anderson smirked, and then winked at Arnold who in turn laughed.  
  
'Arnold has given this team such accomplishments in his years of coaching, including his world famous plays. He never fails to completely distract and confuse the other team. His plays and his coaching have brought this team so far. Out of the thirty-five years that he has coached and played for the Vikings, we've gone to the Super Bowl twenty-seven times, winning twenty- one of them. I think we should stop right there for a moment and give this extraordinary guy a round of applause.' Anderson stopped, and the crowd of players, and co-coaches clapped for him. Helga looked at her husband. He was beaming so brightly. Helga was never more proud of him in her whole life, and she could tell by the looks on her children's faces that they were equally proud. Helga smiled, and looked up at Anderson as the applause diminished.  
  
'He didn't just bring talent to this team, he brought his good personality, and his good heart. Every time we won, he would go the extra mile to make sure we knew how proud he was. Even when we lost, he brought our spirits up and told us that we could do it the next time. One time the score was 48-0 and we were losing at half time, but he came up with a new set of plays and we won the game 52-48. He told us that we could do it, and we did. He never lost faith in us, and he never gave up.  
  
'I don't think we could ever replace anyone like Arnold as a teammate, a coach, or a friend. I want to wish Arnold and his family the best of luck in the years to come, and good luck with the announcing. Oh, and Helga, I'll make sure to keep you in mind so I can call you up every time this team slacks off.' Everyone laughed, and Anderson held up his glass. 'I want to give a toast to Arnold, for his hard work, his dedication, his talent, and to Arnold.' Everybody held up their own glasses in the same way and did the toast.  
  
After a few more speaches were said and done, it was Arnold's turn to give his farwell speech.  
  
'I just want to say that I'll never forget this team as long as I live. No, really! Even when I had to bring Helga in, I would still see the determination shining in the eyes of this team. I remember when I was Anderson's teammate, and then when I was his coach and when he became my co- head coach. I remember when Johnson joined the team a while back, and how determined he was.  
  
~Flashback~  
  
It was Johnson's first day at practice, Sam Johnson that is. Unfortunately for him, the team had been misbehaving and Helga was present to throw in a few of her torture drills.  
  
'Hustle up men, or should I say boys?! My grandma can do better than you, and she's dead!' She yelled as she twirled her whistle that was around her neck.  
  
'I wanna see you run football head's loopy plays, and I wanna see you do them right! Starting with the backwards, upward, triple fluke, square-cut, angle liner belly flop!' she stuck the whistle in her mouth and blew it so hard the men thought it might burst out their ear drums. The plays started, and just as they were getting to the square-cut where it was Johnson's turn to handle the ball, he fumbled it, and Helga belw the whistle as Johnson did his own belly flop onto the ground. She walked over to him and stood above him, not shifting her stoic eyes from his. He looked up, and was immediately frightened by the face she had on. It was a dark scowl, not very fitting for such a pretty face. She bent down so she was eye level with him and glared at him.  
  
'What the HELL are you still doing on the ground!?' she yelled. Arnold ran over and pulled Helga up and back, before she did anything she might regret.  
  
'Honey,' he whispered in her ear, 'It's Johnson's first day. Give him a little slack.'' Helga's face grew a little softer, but it never lost that stone cold glare. She faced the players as Arnold helped Johnson up.  
  
'As you all know me, I don't CUT anyone slack!' she stopped pacing and turned toward Johnson who was slumped over, and feeling all of his pride being shot.  
  
'But I'll make an acception.' She said in such a way that he knew he should never let it happen again with her around. Helga continued: 'Now you know, and you'll never do that again, got it!?' Johnson nodded vigorously and Helga nodded.  
  
'Good, now let's get back to drills!' she blew her whistle and all the players hustled back into position as Arnold brought Johnson to sit on a bench, recovering from the shock Helga had onhim. Arnold turned to his newest player.  
  
'Hey Johnson, don't worry about it. Just get back up right away next time and do whatever she says and you'll be fine.' Johnson looked at his coach with a very shocked face now.  
  
'And she's your wife!? How do you put up with this all the time?' They both looiked over at Helga who was screaming at the players.  
  
'MOVE! MOVE! Come on pick it up you pussies, I don't got all day you know. '  
  
Arnold shrugged, then smiled. 'Actually, she's never like this, only at practice. She used to act like this all the time when we were little though. She used to torture the hell out of me, but that's a different story.' Johnson smiled. He didn't think he'd ever figure out his coach's wife, but he could tell that his coach had. Arnold gave Johnson's back a pat and stood up.  
  
'Let's get back to practice, huh?' Johnson looked over to the other players, and Helga.  
  
'LOWER! LOWER!' Helga yelled, 'If you don't get lower on those up downs, you're going to do FIFTY MORE!' Johnson smiled and nodded as he ran to join the rest of his teammated.  
  
~~  
  
'Sam Johnson ended up being one of my best players ever. He must have taken my advice, and he listened to my wife from that day forward.  
  
'The Super Bowl was the event I looked forward to every season. Like Anderson said, we won it a record amount of times. This team is unbeatable, and I have the faith that it will stay like that.  
  
~Flahback~  
  
'Go! Go! Go! Go!' Helga yelled as she watched her husband's team take down the field at the Super Bowl.  
  
'Run, run, run, run, run, c'mon Everson.' Jordan yelled. Gerald, Jayme, Phoebe and Sean were just as engrossed in the game as Helga and jOrdan, but Jeana could care less and continued to talk on her cell phone.  
  
'NO Molly, I DON"T think we should be friends with her.Why? What do you mean why!? She's a total freak! Why should we.she did? Are you serious? Well then sign me up for that when I get home, I'm at this stupid football game.yeah, my dad's team is playing.I KNOW that it's the superbowl but I don't care. Football is a stupid sport. What's so special about trying to get a little leather ball down the field.'Jeana talked to Molly long distance while lying on one of the couches that occupied their box seats. She looked over at the other occupants of the box and rolled her eyes. They looked so stupid cheering like idiots. Football made no sense to her. It was just a bunch of men running around in pants too tight for them, trying to get a leather ball down the field. Yeah, loads of fun.  
  
'Touch down!' Gerald yelled as he threw his arms up in the air and gave a hi-five to his son. Phoebe hugged Helga and Jayme and Sean cheered along. Helga's cell phone rang.  
  
'Hello?' she asked, 'Arnold! That play was amazing! I never thought Johnson could pull it off! That boy has grown so good!'  
  
'Yeah! I can't believe it! How's it going up there?.Oh, Jeana's not watching again, that figures.you too! Bye.' Arnold hung up just as his players started coming in after the buzzer sounded for half time. Arnold led his team to the locker rooms.  
  
'Okay men, we're doing really good so far, but our opponents are gonna try to pull something tricky, so we need to fight back strong, but smart. Follow your teammates, and pass the ball if a clump is coming at you. Helga said that you guys loook great!' The players smiled, and Arnold continued to talk to his team.  
  
~~  
  
'I was so proud of this team, expecially the first time we won the Super Bowl with me as head coach that year. I can still remember that score exactly. It was 52-28. The Raiders started making a comeback, but we kept them down.  
  
'I wouldn't trade this team for any other team in the world. This team doesn't only have talent, you have extreme determination that I"ve never seen in anyone else. In my thirty years of coaching, I could never ask for a better way of ending it. It all fit together perfectly, but still all good things must come to an end. Thank you for making my coaching, and playing experience one of the best experiences I've ever had. I'll enver forget you.' Everyone clapped for Arnold as he walked back to his table.  
  
'Group picture!' someone yelled, so Arnold and his team huddled together in a group as cameras flashed, and the room lluminated from the light. Helga smiled as she saw a tear fall from her husband's eye. He was giving up something he loved for something he loved even more, his family. Helga looked back at her family. Oh, how it was growing. She watched Jeana struggle to stand up as she held her swolen belly. She was due any time and Helga couldn't stop smiling at her daughter and son-in-law. Helga would soon be a grandmother! She could barely handle herself emotionally when she turned into a mother, but a grandmother? She couldn't wait!  
  
~^*^~  
  
Paul Anderson wiped a tear from his eye as he continued.  
  
'If there was only one way that I could remember Arnold would be his persistence. I'll all ways remember helga for her commitment. She never had to be there, but she was. They both pushed the team as far as it could go, then further. That built this team into what it is now. It was hard following in Arnold's footsteps, but it just proves how amazing he was at coaching. I'll never forget his persistence. Arnold, Helga, may you rest in peace. I know you will.' Anderson stepped down from the podium, and Phoebe got up and slowly moved to the front using her walker. She had gotten a stroke only a few years earlier and it had affected her physical activity, including walking.Helga had joked with her after she had gotten better and said that it was because she wasted her brain on being smart all those years. Phoebe wiped her tears away from thet thought as she finally approached the podium. Her son, Jordan smiled at her from the audience, and Gerald gave her the thumbs up.  
  
'If you thought it sounded magical when Jeana, Jayme and Sean were born, then you haven't heard anything. Helga and Arnold found it even more amazing when little Cassandra showed up, Cassie.' Jeana hugged her daughet, Cassie to her even tighter and Cried. Cassie looked over at her mother.  
  
'It's okay mom,' Cassie said to Jeana, 'Frandma and Grandpa will always be with us.' Casie herself tried to hide a few tears and looked over at her absent father.  
  
'Helga and Arnold were so pleased when Cassie was born, and they started feeling old at the same time. I'm sure Cassie has heard the story thousands of times, but here it goes again.  
  
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Okay, lemme know what ya think! R/R please and.  
  
C ya l8ter!  
  
Arnoldnhelga4eva  
  
PS just remember, I'm hyper so just ignore my comments, lol.:D 


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